Europe's silence on Trump's assault on US democracy has gone on for too long. In fact, it has become an embarrassment to those who genuinely care about defending liberal values in Europe. The last nine months have seen European leaders engage in flattery and appeasement with the aim of keeping Trump engaged on European security issues. But this approach has led them to swallow unrealistic defence spending targets and unbalanced trade terms without questioning Trump's inflated claims or criticizing his destructive policies.
The lack of public criticism from European leaders is not just a matter of diplomatic niceties; it is a betrayal of their duty to preserve liberal democracy at home. The assault on the US civil service, judiciary, legal profession, media, and armed forces by Trump is a threat to Europe's own values. Moreover, Trump's erosion of multilateral rules-based free trade order and his selective use of tariffs as a tool for political vendettas are harming European businesses and citizens.
The time has come for European leaders to speak up and assert their moral autonomy. They should signal Europe's support for democracy in the US and for those who are defending it. This does not mean that an expression of dismay would have any practical effect on dismantling checks and balances in the US political system or abolishing vital institutions like USAID. However, by protecting liberal democracy in Europe, which is under threat from Trump's domestic agenda, European leaders can ensure that they are doing their duty to preserve the values they cherish.
It is not just about offering moral support; it also means taking concrete actions. European governments and regions can build partnerships on climate action, civil rights, and development assistance with like-minded US states and local authorities. They can offer jobs, visas, and scholarships to US scientists and academics hit by Trump's cuts to research funding. And they should stand firm against attempts by the US administration to intervene at will in support of hate speech and its proponents.
The danger is that silence on this issue may embolden Trump to use the Insurrection Act, which would grant sweeping powers to the military to police American protests. This would be a catastrophic threat to democratic norms in the US. The last time the US military was used for domestic policing against demonstrations was under Richard Nixon in 1970, and European governments should not keep their mouths shut on this issue.
It is high time for Europe to recognize that Trump's assault on democracy is a direct threat to its own values. The defence of liberal democracy starts by recognizing when it is under threat in our closest ally. By speaking up, European leaders can send a clear message that they will not be silenced and that they will defend the values that they cherish.
The lack of public criticism from European leaders is not just a matter of diplomatic niceties; it is a betrayal of their duty to preserve liberal democracy at home. The assault on the US civil service, judiciary, legal profession, media, and armed forces by Trump is a threat to Europe's own values. Moreover, Trump's erosion of multilateral rules-based free trade order and his selective use of tariffs as a tool for political vendettas are harming European businesses and citizens.
The time has come for European leaders to speak up and assert their moral autonomy. They should signal Europe's support for democracy in the US and for those who are defending it. This does not mean that an expression of dismay would have any practical effect on dismantling checks and balances in the US political system or abolishing vital institutions like USAID. However, by protecting liberal democracy in Europe, which is under threat from Trump's domestic agenda, European leaders can ensure that they are doing their duty to preserve the values they cherish.
It is not just about offering moral support; it also means taking concrete actions. European governments and regions can build partnerships on climate action, civil rights, and development assistance with like-minded US states and local authorities. They can offer jobs, visas, and scholarships to US scientists and academics hit by Trump's cuts to research funding. And they should stand firm against attempts by the US administration to intervene at will in support of hate speech and its proponents.
The danger is that silence on this issue may embolden Trump to use the Insurrection Act, which would grant sweeping powers to the military to police American protests. This would be a catastrophic threat to democratic norms in the US. The last time the US military was used for domestic policing against demonstrations was under Richard Nixon in 1970, and European governments should not keep their mouths shut on this issue.
It is high time for Europe to recognize that Trump's assault on democracy is a direct threat to its own values. The defence of liberal democracy starts by recognizing when it is under threat in our closest ally. By speaking up, European leaders can send a clear message that they will not be silenced and that they will defend the values that they cherish.
I'm literally fuming over here!!! 
European leaders are seriously sleepwalking into this, it's like they're in denial about Trump's assault on democracy... like, what is going on?!? 
Have they forgotten the lessons of history? The rise and fall of fascist regimes? The importance of standing up for liberal values? 
It's not just about offering moral support, it's about taking concrete actions! 
European governments should be building alliances with US states that are fighting back against Trump's agenda, not just quietly collecting their own benefits. And what's with the lack of criticism from leaders?! Are they too afraid to speak truth to power? 
Newsflash: silence = complicity, and complicity is NOT an option when it comes to defending democracy! 
We need European leaders to be vocal, to stand firm, and to defend the values that matter most. Anything less is just unacceptable 
Trump's behavior is kinda like a wild card, you never know what he'll do next... but one thing's for sure, Europe needs to speak up on this 
. Newsflash: Trump's attacks on democracy are not just about the US, they're about the whole world 
. And Europe can't afford to stay silent on this issue anymore 
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European leaders need to step up and show some moral courage 
), but about standing up for democracy and human rights everywhere 
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. Like, let's build partnerships on climate action and stuff. Let's offer jobs and visas to US scientists and academics who are being screwed by Trump's budget cuts 
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. And if that means Trump gets a little upset, so be it 
. Better safe than sorry! European leaders need to take responsibility for defending liberal democracy and not just sitting on their hands 
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. I mean, come on, 9 months of flattery and appeasement is just embarrassing 
. Those European leaders should be speaking truth to power, not swallowing all the unrealistic defence spending targets and unbalanced trade terms. And let's be real, it's a betrayal of their duty to preserve liberal democracy at home 
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. European leaders can't keep their mouths shut on this issue, especially not after what happened under Nixon 
), but about protecting the values that we all care about, like freedom of speech and equal rights 
. We need to support those who are fighting against him in the US, whether it's through building partnerships or offering help in any way we can 
. The last thing we need is for Trump to use the Insurrection Act to silence people and undermine democratic norms 
.
. it's embarrassing tbh. if europe really cares about liberal values, they should be speaking up a lot louder than just flattery and appeasement. trump's not just attacking the usa, he's threatening their own values too 
... like what if trump tries to use the insurrection act? that would be huge 
I'm getting really worried about what's going on with Trump's behavior towards US democracy. Europe just needs to step up and speak out against this. It's like they're waiting for someone else to save them, but honestly, no one is coming 
. We need European leaders to take a stand and make it clear that they won't tolerate this kind of thing happening in their own backyard too. I mean, what's next? The Insurrection Act? That's just terrifying 
. We can't just sit back and watch democracy get dismantled. It's time for Europe to show some backbone! 
. Those defense spending targets and trade terms are straight up unrealistic 
, and not one single European leader has called Trump out on his crazy claims or policies 
. I mean, Trump is going after the civil service, judiciary, media, and military - that's like a nuclear attack on democracy itself 
! And don't even get me started on the trade stuff... tariffs are one thing, but this whole free trade order thing? More like a joke 
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. They should show support for US democracy and those fighting against Trump. It doesn't have to be super practical or anything, just stand up for what they believe in 
. Stand firm against hate speech, period 
... that's a whole other can of worms 
. They need to speak up, send a clear message that they won't be silenced, and defend liberal democracy at all costs 
and you can't predict his next move. so yeah, its time for them to speak up and assert their moral autonomy 
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. That's not how politics works! We need to call out when our allies are being a bit too friendly with someone who's basically undermining democracy. It's time for Europe to step up and show some backbone 
Let's focus on the substance. And btw, what's with the "moral autonomy" talk? Can someone explain that to me in simple terms? 
. If Trump gets to use that to police American protests, it's game over for democracy in the US. We need European leaders to step up and say something, even if it's just to express their concern 
. Someone needs to bring Trump down, but I don't think it'll be from the inside out...
Europe needs to stop being awkward around Trump 
European leaders can't just be silent about Trump's assault on democracy, it's a major betrayal of liberal values 
European leaders need to take concrete actions and build partnerships with like-minded US states and local authorities, it's time for some real support 
just saying... europe's been pretty quiet on trump's attacks on democracy for too long. it's like they're more worried about saving face than standing up for what's right 
. it's not just about supporting the us, it's about preserving liberal values in europe too 
. if they don't, they're basically saying that their own democracy is not worth defending 
. That's like, the least they can do after all the crazy stuff Trump's been pulling 
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