In a panel discussion on the Dutch radio station BNR Nieuwsradio on 16 July 2018, Bas Jacobs, Professor of Public Finance and Economic Policy at Erasmus School of Economics, discusses Trump's 7-day Europe trip. Other panel members are Martin Visser (Telegraaf) and Ewoud Jansen, (International Business and Management Studies, Fontys Hogeschool).
President Donald Trump visited Brussels, London, Glasgow, Scotland and in Helsinki he sat down for a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In combining meetings with NATO and British allies with a Russian tete-a-tete, Trump displayed two hallmarks of his foreign policy: Getting tough on allies and trading partners over their defense spending and trade policies, while opening the door to better relations with longtime adversaries like Russia, China and North Korea.
According to Professor Jacobs, Trump does not understand what the European Union is about and does not know what he is talking about. It is just one big media circus. Furthermore, Trump does not understand the consequences of his actions and does neither understand the idea behind the balance of trade.
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For more information, listen to the whole podcast (in Dutch) of BNR Nieuwsradio, 16 July 2018.