White House affirms healthy relationship between President Trump, Chancellor Merkel

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that rumors of tension between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were based on the German Chancellor being misquoted.

“I think the relationship that the president has had with Merkel he would describe as fairly unbelievable,” Spicer said.

“They get along very well. He has a lot of respect for her. They continued to grow the bond that they had during their talks in the G-7. Any views, not just Germany, but the rest of Europe as an important American ally,” he said.

Spicer corrected a reporter who he said misquoted the chancellor.

“She said the time when Europe could rely solely on others is somewhat in the past,” Spicer said of the German chancellor.

“This means working in friendship with the U.S. the U.K. and neighborly relations with Russia and other partners. That’s great. That’s what the president called for.”