The key facts
- In a Fox News interview, Trump said Europe is “dying” and that countries like France and Italy “may not even survive.”
- He contrasted the situation in Europe with that of the US, which, in his view, is thriving.
- On October 20 he already said Europe risks disappearing without a change in migration policy, and on October 25 he recalled his warning to Macron.
Statement in a Fox News interview
US President Donald Trump expressed doubt that France, Italy and other European countries can cope with their current problems. In a telephone interview with Fox News, he described Europe's situation as extremely dire: “Look at Europe — it's dying. Look at what's happening in France, Italy, in all these other countries. Things are going terribly for them, honestly, they may not even survive,” his words were reported by Life.ru. Trump contrasted the situation in Europe with that of the United States: in his view, the US is supposedly thriving, and Washington intends to keep it that way.
A series of similar statements
According to the outlet, this is not the first such statement by the American leader in recent weeks. On October 20 he already said that Europe risks disappearing if it does not change its migration policy, and linked the unrest in France to the influx of migrants. In a Fox News interview on October 25, Trump recalled his warning to Emmanuel Macron, claiming that at their very first meeting he had urged his French counterpart to limit migration.
Context
Trump's assessments are his personal opinion voiced in an interview, not conclusions from independent sources: the publication provides no data confirming or refuting the thesis of Europe's “demise.” The article also contains no reaction from European parties to these remarks. Earlier, according to Life.ru, Trump separately explained the conditions under which the US would continue arming Ukraine, stating that “Europe pays 100%.”
