German attitudes towards the United States under Donald Trump’s presidency, based on German reporting.

Abstract

This paper covers various political events that affected German attitudes towards the US, including Obama’s approach to the crisis in Syria and the Snowden affair, the transition to the Trump administration and its effect on German foreign policy, US’ withdrawal from the Iran Deal, Trump’s demands regarding German defense expenditures and his attitude towards NATO, the proposed joint European military, the incomplete Nord Stream 2 pipeline project and subsequent US sanctions, and Trump’s plan to withdraw American troops from Germany. (Due to the evolving and complex nature of the coronavirus pandemic, this paper does not address how the health crisis may have affected German attitudes towards the US.) An analysis of how the German media reported on these events is critical to understanding the evolution of German attitudes towards the US under Trump. Given its broad implications with regard to the global economy, politics, diplomacy, and security, a strong grasp of the current state of German-US relations is essential to examining US foreign policy. Questions regarding the future of the transatlantic relationship have become even more relevant as the United States approaches the November 2020 presidential election. (from Introduction)