On the eve of the 2020 US presidential election, US intelligence was convinced that the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not want Donald Trump to be re-elected for a second term.
This is stated in an official report from August 2020 by the US National Intelligence Council. The document was officially declassified and published by the White House this morning.
Trump-Merkel relations under the magnifying glass of intelligence
According to the analyses of the American services, the then German government saw Trump as a threat to transatlantic relations and international trade. The US intelligence community has been closely studying the attitudes of European leaders before the 2020 vote. The published data confirms the deep tensions between Washington and Berlin on topics such as NATO funding and the “Nord Stream-2“ gas pipeline.
A series of declassifications by the White House
This document is part of a broader campaign by the American administration to reveal archival intelligence data. The White House move sheds light on the diplomatic maneuvering behind the scenes during one of the most contested election periods in U.S. history. Analysts say the report provides valuable historical perspective on U.S.-German relations.