Merkel’s astonishing attack on Donald Trump – ‘Tear down walls of ignorance’

The German chancellor devoted much of her Harvard University speech to attacking President Trump, as she urged graduates to “tear down walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness”. Despite never mentioning the US President by name, Ms Merkel attacked several cornerstones the Trump Presidency, including protectionism, free trade and climate change. In a further jibe, the 64-year-old chancellor called on the students to “tear down walls”, the opposite of Mr Trump’s 2016 battlecry where he promised to “build the wall” to stop immigrants crossing the border with Mexico.

While drawing on her experiences of life in former East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Ms Merkel said: “Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is.”

Speaking at the Ivy League university to students and alumni, the German chancellor received a standing ovation when she said it was important not to “describe lies as truth, and truth as lies”.

She added, it is better to stop and think before acting on “first impulses” – comments that prompted further cheers.

Ms Merkel also stressed “multilateralism instead of unilateralism” and “being open-minded instead of isolationist”.

Ms Merkel also appeared to criticise President Trumps’ approach to climate change.

She warned of the “threat climate change poses to our planet’s resources” and called for the world to work together.

In 2017 Mr Trump announced he would pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement.

Following the speech Peter Beyer, who coordinates relations with the US in the German foreign ministry, confirmed Ms Merkel was alluding to Trump in her speech.

In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD on Friday, he said: “We of course interpret what the chancellor said as a counterpoint to Donald Trump and his policies and how he goes about politics.

“The chancellor remained faithful to herself and in terms of content this is what she in any case works for in politics.”

Ms Merkel is the first German leader to give an address at Harvard since 1990, when former chancellor Helmut Kohl delivered it the year of German reunification.

Speakers in recent years have included Mark Zuckerberg, J.K Rowling and Oprah Winfrey.

source: express.co.uk