Warnings in Foreign Officials’ Criticism of Donald Trump

Doug Heye

May 17, 2016 4:11 pm ET

ENLARGE

British Prime Minister David Cameron in London this month. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Doug Heye is a former communications director for the Republican National Committee and deputy chief of staff to then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. He is on Twitter: @DougHeye.

Donald Trump inflames passions on both sides of the aisle–and both sides of the Atlantic. How that will sway U.S. voters is still anyone’s guess.

After Mr. Trump first suggested barring Muslims from entering the U.S., British Prime Minister David Cameron said the “remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong and I think if he came to visit our country I think it’d unite us all against him.”

British officials said this week that the prime minister stands by his comments from December, when Mr. Trump first proposed the ban. There have been other condemnations of Mr. Trump’s proposals from the UK: Sadiq Khan, the newly elected mayor of London from the Labour Party and the city’s first Muslim mayor, rejected Mr. Trump’s offer of an exception to the potential ban. “Donald Trump’s ignorant view of Islam could make both of our countries less safe,” he said. “It risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of extremists.” (After Mr. Trump called the mayor’s statements very rude, Mr. Khan invited Mr. Trump to meet his family.)

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Sadiq Khan at the ceremony to be sworn in as London's mayor on May 7, 2016. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Boris Johnson, a Conservative member of Parliament who until this month was mayor of London, had joked in December, “The only reason I wouldn’t visit some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.” Mr. Johnson, who was born in New York, said in reference to a potential ban on Muslims that “Donald Trump’s ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense.”

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said this week: “Mr. Trump is so stupid, my God.”

Among the things this election cycle has shown is that Donald Trump is anything but stupid. European leaders who deal every day with the threat of terrorism by Islamist extremists are unlikely to be swayed by Mr. Trump’s pronouncement that his proposals are, at this stage, merely ideas and suggestions. Meanwhile, U.S. voters are likely to take seriously condemnation from top U.S. allies–or praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin–as they evaluate the candidates.

More In Think Tank

Mr. Trump responded to Mr. Cameron’s criticism by saying this week, “It looks like we’re not going to have a very good relationship.”

The risk, of course, is that his observation is both a threat and self-fulfilling prophecy. Mr. Trump has said many times that the world is laughing at the U.S. But the world is not laughing. The condemnations from traditional European allies are not jokes, nor is the suggestion from former Mexican President Vicente Fox that Mr. Trump’s election would raise the specter of the U.S. as “that hated gringo.” European leaders have watched the growth of angry populism, often over immigration, in recent years. Many European leaders are looking at Mr. Trump’s rise not with humor but with alarm.

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39 comments

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Matt Campbell user

A big fat so what?

john amr werneken user

@Donald DeWitt Agree there's no harm and may be some good in behaving decently. But. A country looks to it's interests. Ares are control of the seas, a relatively stable world, world trade, and the prevention of the existence of a true rival power. NOTHING else matters to the USA, in terms of national interest, so our government should stay clear of any other issue or concern, except to the extent that taking up other matters would add significantly to our strength on the four things that do matter.

Public opinion HERE should not matter either. The people may be good judges of whether in general things are ok to getting better (keep the bums we have), or poor to getting worse (throw the bums out), and about, given a choice only between new bums, which one appears to support their interests or ideas or group and thus perhaps reliably depend on them, hence possibly may help them.

But people their interests ideas groups votes and opinions should have absolutely no impact on state policy.

Manuel Lazerov subscriber

Trump's got their number on our rotten trade deals, so they are attacking whatever his social views are du jour. That's the real source of their concern, plus the fact that as president , he'd lean on them to pony up for their own security.

Forget what they say about Trump's social views. Just follow the money.
It's always about the money. Nothing else. And, these fatuous politicians know it.

Roland Eichman subscriber

The mayors of Londonistan and Paristan disagree with Trump regarding Muslims because, inter alia, they would risk being killed a la Charlie Hebdo if they agreed with Trump.

Londonistan, Paristan, and Mexico City can continue showing the World how to go down a rat hole fast and efficiently.

Matt Lechner user

In exchange for more support from FoxNews, Donnie has agreed to make Greta a celebrity in a new reality TV show for senior citizens, and Donnie will also foot the bill for Hannity to get an experimental new operation to elevate his I.Q. level from dunce up to sub-normal.

Jeff Hardesty subscriber

@Matt Lechner

Your repeated use of the name "Donnie" would be irritating if it didn't so completely reveal your abject fear that the presumptive GOP nominee is going to run neck and neck with the Democrat candidate. Have a nice day, Mattie.

LEONARD BUBASH subscriber

The foreign leaders should be upset- they're not going to have our idiotic politicians shoveling them untold billions of our dollars anymore. TRUMP!!!

The opinions of people and of leaders, domestic or foreign, are of no importance, it's actions that can be important. In most cases, for a foreign people or government to undertake dramatic action to the detriment of serious US national interests, that action would be against THEIR interest too.

If they actually start acting like that - against us and themselves as well, for reasons of stupidity (principle, belief, ideology=stupidity), to Hell with them, war is always an option.

Europe would be far better off to expel and deny entry to any people unwilling to abandon their previous culture in favor of that of their new home.

And do not tell me that people are equal - demonstrably totally false! Or that people have rights, beyond what others willingly concede them - also demonstrably false.

Donald DeWitt user

@john amr werneken What the rest of the world thinks of the USA is just as important as what we think of them.

Poor relationships lead to wars and isolation and poverty. The USA is not so rich that we can afford to blunder into any of that through preventable errors.

Glenn Wilder subscriber

I harken us back to the day when Hugo Chavez was addressing the UN General Assembly, and he referred to Bush as the Devil...something along the lines of "...I have come here and seen the Devil himself...."

I would have LOVED to have Trump immediately follow Chavez at the podium, and rip into the Venezuelan leader...calling out his trashing of his own economy, nationalizing entire industries and invalidating hundreds of billions of investment literally in the time it took to sign his name to the legislation. Example....Venezuela has the largest know oil reserves outside of Saudi Arabia, yet has to IMPORT it's own gasoline...because Chavez used the industry as a cash cow for social programs, scrimped on maintenance, repairs, etc. His country is now a basket case...and a lesson for other Socialists all around the world.

Should Trump win, I dont think there will be too many foreign leaders coming to US soil to insult our leaders....with Trump right there to clarify for the world.

Donald Rodgers subscriber

Diplomats are Elites and both are super politicans. They all speak in vonvoluted spin. Any statement they make has the ability to be interpreted as "advances the narrative".

Trump speaks in New York -eses. Indeed its the language of workers- workers who produce. Its spoken all over the country. It begins with Building Tradesmen who built this Country. Take alook at any skyline. It wasn't built by loudmouthed radical who want to be Politicans -promising everything to everybody. Trump, as these people, speaks in IDEAS. the idea conveys an obvective. "I'm going to build a wall" He was making it plain that he intended to stop illegal immigration, illegal drugs and jihadists and terrorists. The 'gottcha" crowd went to work.

The mood that Trump speaks for started a long time ago and will shock the idiot socialists now in power.

CHRISTOPHER MAGNOLLAY subscriber

@Donald Rodgers Claiming that Trump speaks like a blue collar worker is quite shocking. He grew up super privileged with a silver spoon in his mouth. How do you figure he talks like an actual New Yorker?

Stefan Bjoerklund subscriber

I remember similar comments about how stupid Ronald Reagan was, 1979 from Swedish, Danish and German social democrats and communists.

Read also Gen Markus Wolfs comments in todays Financial Times. Very amusing.

@Stefan Bjoerklund The Reagan parallels with Trump are as valid as drawing parallels between Hillary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher - different people/characters/ideas/personalities.

Trump, like all Republicans (even temporary ones ) - loves to use the Reagan Standard - yet less flattering comparisons like George Wallace are far more apt.

@Stefan Bjoerklund @Donald DeWitt Reagan had decades of EXPERIENCE in executive public leadership - Trump has zero. The amateur with a nuclear button is the greatest threat.

@Donald DeWitt @Stefan Bjoerklund I do not know Trump. It seems to me that the propaganda against Trump have many similarities with the propaganda against Ronald rReagan before he was elected 1980.

As an example - In Swedish schools teachers are now scaring 13 year olds with the threat of a nuclear war if Trump becomes president, this happened last time 1979 as I know. Not even George Bush was hyped as much as a threat to peace, freedom and socialism.

patrick gigliotti subscriber

Aren't these the same guys who objected to Obama sticking his nose int their business?

Trudy Ahearn subscriber

England is lost, Spain is lost, Greece is lost, Italy is lost, Germany is lost. All these "enlightened" European countries that espouse open borders along with generous entitlement programs have watched as their cultures have been eclipsed and their economic health is in crises; instead of warning the US of impending doom they want us to walk blindly down that dark alley with them. With Donald Trump, we the people give a resounding HELL NO to them all. Let us first defend our borders, our culture and our language before we look outward toward the ever declining European continent. May she rest in peace.

Ray Gordon user

England is a 2nd rate country that continues a military occupation of Northern Ireland, especially Irish Catholics. They dragged us into two world wars that they helped to start but could not finish. Their soldiers got run out of Basra because they couldn't fight armed men, they can only shoot Irish teenagers in the back in NI. Good for Trump to tell England to take a hike.

Gary Best subscriber

Watch all these Clowns walk back comments or claim to have been misquoted in the coming months.

Recommend they practice kissing President Trump's ring and genuflecting before Melania.

@Gary Best Unlikely - Trump's attacks on NATO will increase the UK's global security profile and put the US back in a 1930s backwater while Putin invades more EU countries.

aresh govanni subscriber

The Brits have a history of treating Americans with contempt. Right from Montgomorie dissing Gen. Eisenhower , floppy twit Boris Johnson racially abusing Obama to this extremist Mayor Khan yelling at Trump.

FDR & Eisenhower saved the UK from destruction and US money then rebuilt the UK. Since WW2 the UK has been prospering riding off American coattails.

Americans meanwhile treat the brits with extreme deference. US Presidents love kissing the queen's ring while the BBC brims over with anti american hatred. Note that Britain acts in its own interest always, it hasn't taken one syrian refugee nor contributed 1 meager dollar to resettlement. Now this writer Heye wan't to further addle US foreign policy and weaken us further in line with Obama thinking. So much so that nations we built Britain, Mexico, S Korea rule us.

@aresh govanni England is our mother country.

We love our mother even if she is a bit dotty.

Frank Mostek subscriber

"The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said this week: “Mr. Trump is so stupid, my God.” he says as he stands on the blood of hundreds of his citizens that he failed to protect....

If the liberal socialist, politically correct pencil necks are against Trump - then he's got my vote.

@Frank Mostek Pencil necks are against the Zika Virus and H5N1 bird flu - does that make you in favor of fatal epidemics?

Trump should earn votes or lose them on his own meager merits and ample flaws.

@Frank Mostek @Donald DeWitt The myth of the "virtuous businessman" falls apart when workplace conditions and record hours works for record low pay are taken into account.

Trump himself favors contract foreign labor - it's cheaper than paying a living wage to native US workers.

@Frank Mostek The french and british are masters at disingenuous deception. French Muslims live in ghettos with little access to government or private sector jobs. French Business is insular and racist. You'd have to look in the basement to find a person of color. French Jews are regularly attacked and feel extremely vulnerable. BIbi has called specifically for their migration to Israel. Yet this idiot mayor felt free to opine about the US, a country where minorities have the worlds best avenues for growth and personal advancement.

@Donald DeWitt @Frank Mostek non sequitur but nice try Donald. I'll take Trump as he made it out in the private sector where you have to deal with competition and consumer choice - unlike Clinton and Sanders who made it off the backs of the hard working middle class where you are sent to prison if you don't pay your taxes. Its pretty easy to be generous with other people's money forcefully confiscated from them....

karen capozzi subscriber

America was founded on Immigrants backs.. Ignoring a modern International environment to establish isolationism...is burying one's head in the sand... Trump's vision of 'Making America great again' is to create a bubble in which white male billionaire supremacy continues.. This is a desperate last ditch effort of old money trying to control a changing world. Yes, we need to tighten our belts with volunteering our military around the Globe, but the original intention was to manipulate. We can change that...have countries match our offers... Yes, we need tougher immigration, background checks, etc...but perhaps an immigrant can bring something to ADD to our country.. Australia requires a potential resident to offer cash or a business contribution if an immigrant wishes to be a citizen...There are many ways to create Win-Win situations ...My sense is that the Trump's Troupe vision for America is for his own financial benefit, and leaves out the Majority who are not billionaires...

@karen capozzi as you said - he's already a billionaire so why would he be doing this for his "financial benefit"?? And what are Clinton's and feel the bern vision of make America great again? more big government socialist spending, higher taxes and regulations and more companies fleeing America and taking their jobs with them, and leaving millions of illegal immigrants here to take what's left of the dwindling jobs? Maybe our debt needs to hit $25T before the idiots supporting the Democrats wake up?

Thanks but no thanks.....

@patrick gigliotti @karen capozzi The US took advantage of both slaves and successive waves of cheap immigrant labor both in its founding days and even today - which is why are food costs are the lowest in the world as a percentage of household budgets.

We have also had successive waves of rabble-rousing demagogues blaming all disease, crime, and corruption on whoever the most recent wave of immigrants was. Trump is part of a tradition of ignorance he is no doubt unaware of - as are his followers.

@Frank Mostek @karen capozzi An ego trip by Trump could take the country into a period of tyranny and civil strife never seen before.

What do you think mass deportation of 13 million Hispanics will look like?

Or legalized torture by the police and military?

I think it looks like an unmitigated disaster

@Donald DeWitt @patrick gigliotti @karen capozzi

Yes I've seen this argument before. There was indeed slavery and it was, and is, a hideous institution and a blot on the nation's past. But the Obamaesque "You didn't build that aspect of to is false."

Almost every nation on earth had slavery at that time, Africa had slavery, all of Central and South America had slavery, and the entire Middle East had slavery, much of it still does. American Indians had slavery for crying out loud.

How have they done, these other slave holding countries? Low food prices? Those places all have had waves of immigrants, in fact they are currently experiencing massive waves of cheap laborers. You have any idea how much a pear costs in England?

You don't suppose our system of government, our desire for liberty might have something to do with our success do you?

@patrick gigliotti @Donald DeWitt @karen capozzi The positive has always outweighed the negative in the US - but beware those who paint our history in monochrome white or black

@karen capozzi

Here fellow reader is an example of today's mis-educated. America was not founded on immigrants backs. This Howard Zinn nonsense has got to be defeated. She obviously knows nothing of history and her use of cliches could keep James Taranto busy all morning. If this young woman is under twelve years old I apologize, but my guess is she went to a very good school and more than likely has an advanced degree. That is how they get this poorly informed.

@Donald DeWitt @patrick gigliotti @karen capozzi Apology accepted.

Benedict Voon subscriber

Fox News "Talking Point" host by O'Reilly condemnation of main media reporting and I quote "The New York Times and other national media are strongly anti-Trump. They can't discipline themselves to cover the campaign fairly." unquote. Clearly, all this while, all readers of main media has been misled and

manipulated by it. Main media had caused confusion to readers to whether to believe or not to believe all stories of Trump. News reporters has degraded themselves so much that they write with bias and untruthful agendas. Sad and Pity.

Domingo Trassens subscriber

The Trump’s tactic is the generation of division.. He enjoys playing with controversial reactions. Always, through this tactic, he gains followers spreading fears in the others.

For Republicans boasting that they will restore the US reputation after eight years of "feckless" Obama "leading from behind" - the outright hostility Trump is generating from England, from NATO, from Israel, and of course from Mexico and China (who Trump literally said can f* themselves - today) should be huge red flags.

Foreign policy is about growing trade and maintaining stable mutually beneficial. alliances - not starting trade wars and turning allies into enemies.

Trump's#1 stated aim is foreign policy to be "unpredicatable". He also is looking to shake down US allies for a quick buck ("America First"). It's quite possible the US won't have any allies left at all following this approach, which makes "leading from behind" seem like the enlightenment of Buddha by contrast.

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