If there was still doubts, there are no more. “Europe now knows how Trump’s team talks about her behind her,” the title New York Times. A parade of messages – which “were not intended to become public”, underlines the German magazine Focus – sent to a journalist from megard The Atlantic “makes things clear,” summarizes the American media Cnn. It is now written “black on white: the close circle of the American president nourishes visceral contempt” towards Europeans, which Pete Hegseth, defense secretary, describes as “profiteers”, in response to a message from JD Vance.
In this signal loop now known to all, the American vice-president said he was tired of having “saved Europe once again”. This, even though the exchanges initially focused on an upcoming strike in Yemen against the Houthis rebels, in a conversation which therefore concerned “much more the American policy in terms of maritime trade and deterrence vis-à-vis Iran, than concerns about a so-called European parasitism vis-à-vis American military expenses”, The Guardian. Notice that JD Vance does not seem to share.
The animosity of JD Vance
According to the latter, strikes in Yemen would benefit Europe more than in the United States, points out the New York Times. “I think we make a mistake since 3 % of the US trade goes through the Suez Canal while 40 % of European trade passes there,” defended the vice-president in the grouped conversation.
Thus, the operation “almost did not take place”, mocks CNN. It was finally Pete Hegseth who managed to “bring him back to reason”, formula The Guardian. The British daily newspaper relates in particular a message from the Secretary of Defense who insists on the fact that “the strike would serve the fundamental Vessers’ Vésins as freedom of navigation and early deterrence”.
This did not prevent Pete Hegseth from subscribing to the words of JD Vance. “I totally share your disgust for European profiteers,” he replied in unveiled messages. The qualifier “profiteer” has since been taken over by Donald Trump himself who reaffirmed his support for his administration, accused by the opposition of harming the security of the world’s leading power. But in this case, it is “contempt for Europe” which constitutes “the most striking aspect”, blows the conservative weekly The spectator.
Long -standing hostility towards the old continent
The antieuropianism of the new American administration – now in “ideological war against Europe”, notes The Genève Tribune – is not new. A month earlier, JD Vance had gone to Europeans at the Munich Security Conference the idea that “the great threat on the old continent is neither China nor Russia but the renunciation of Europe to some of its most fundamental values”, recalls the Swiss daily.
Donald Trump himself has never hidden his contempt for Europe. It has already been several years since he accused it of not contributing enough to NATO. But since his return to the White House, “the divergences have been transformed into contempt” analyzes CORRIERE DEL TICINO. Across the Rhine, our colleagues from Focus evoke a “contemptuous communication style […] which clearly shows what posture the American administration will adopt in the future in the face of its European allies “.
Reason why, citing an interview with an old kgb, the CORRIERE DEL TICINO hammers that it is now the responsibility of Europeans to take charge of their destiny at risk “to end up becoming an unimportant pawn on the international chessboard”. Across the Channel, The spectator Also warns of European democracies: “Faced with a Donald Trump who will cooperate with the powers of the Middle East to weaken Iran, Europe is more and more alone”.
“Pass the Europeans to the checkout”
Especially since the senior US government officials seek to “pass the Europeans to the checkout”, underlines the Swiss daily Time. German Focus Specific: “In the Signal cat, it was explicitly discussed that Europe had to pay for the expected catering of the secure navigation routes following the strikes”.
Faced with these threats, the reactions of the countries concerned have remained timid, when they do not shine by their absence. “The European capitals remained relatively discreet on Tuesday”, notes The Washington Post in concert with the Spanish daily El Periodico Who tempers, however: “Some voices condemned the insults and the implications of the messages exchanged in the Signal group”. For the New York Times“Europeans are considering a future where the transatlantic relationship […] could never become the same again. “
Perhaps it takes Europeans time to digest “the extent of contempt for them”, depending on the formula of The Genève Tribune ? This old continent which still has in mind “the heroism of the American rangers who fell during the landing in Normandy and praised by President Reagan” or even “the enormous effort of the Marshall Plan, launched by the United States to strengthen democracy and unite the West during the Cold War”, The Repubblica. So many examples which, in the eyes of the transalpine daily life “seem to belong to another era. Almost to another country.”