Under the spell of Putin and Kim: Merkel reports on Trump's fascination with sheer power

ntv.de Under the spell of Putin and Kim: Merkel reports on Trump's fascination with sheer power 13 hours • 2 minutes reading time Former Chancellor Angela Merkel is currently touring the USA with her book. Shortly before Donald Trump returns to the White House, she expresses her concerns about his understanding of power and attests to his preference for autocratic politicians. Republican Trump, whose first term in office from 2017 to 2021 overlapped with Merkel's, returns to the White House on January 20. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has presented her view of the understanding of power of the designated US President Donald Trump in a US television interview. The way he spoke about Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - apart from his critical comments - was always characterized by a certain fascination with their sheer power, said Merkel in an interview with CNN conducted by journalist Christiane Amanpour. Merkel explained that she had the impression that Trump dreamed of deciding things himself and perhaps overriding parliamentary bodies that he felt were somewhat of a hindrance. This was incompatible with democratic values. Republican Trump, whose first term in office from 2017 to 2021 overlapped with Merkel's, will return to the White House on January 20. The former Chancellor has been promoting her memoirs entitled "Freedom. Memories 1954-2021" in the USA in recent days. In addition to TV interviews, she also appeared in Washington with former US President Barack Obama. In her book, Merkel also describes her impression that "politicians with autocratic and dictatorial traits" had "cast a spell over" Trump. Merkel's book, which was published simultaneously in more than 30 countries, is divided into five sections: First, it is about her life in the GDR until 1989. The second part is devoted to the upheavals of 1989 and 1990. This is followed by the period up to 2005, when Merkel was first elected Chancellor. Then it is about her time in government until 2015 - this section ends with Merkel's decisions in the refugee crisis. The last part sheds light on her further years in government until December 2021. In the book, Merkel also describes details outside of big politics. For example, she reports how, after her farewell with the Bundeswehr's Grand Tattoo, she ate "sausages, meatballs and potato salad" with her husband Joachim Sauer and "a few friends" in the Chancellery.