Normandy, France— The heroic D-Day landings in Normandy marked the beginning of the end of World War II, and thousands of Americans killed in the assault are buried in northwestern France.
The sacrifice of American and European Allied soldiers during the Normandy invasion, as well as their great victory over the Nazis, laid the groundwork for an alliance that has lasted more than 80 years.
Then came President Trump’s rhetoric and the resulting tariff war.
“Europe has been very, very bad for us,” President Trump told reporters last month. “Europe has taken our leaders for a ride.” They do not take our cars. They do not take our food products. They do not take anything. The European Union was formed for a single reason. Do you know what that was? Rip off the United States. So put that in your bonnet.
Europeans have been shocked and offended by the president’s actions during the first 100 days of his second term.
Vincent Dampt, a fourth-generation Burgundy winemaker, is proud to sell Chablis wine in the United States at a reasonable price.
Dampt told CBS News that he frequently travels to the United States to meet with customers and introduce them to his wines.
However, the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariffs have caused significant disruption to his business.
“Because we work in a profession where it’s important to have something that is stable,” Dampt went on:
This spring, Mr. Trump repeatedly changed his mind about tariffs on French wine. First, it was going to face a 200% tariff, which would have been catastrophic. That was followed by a threat of a 20% tariff, and then the president decided on a 10% tariff, but only for July. It’s unclear what happens after that.
The bottom line for Dampt is that any tariff will harm his customers and sales.
Trumpian uncertainty has not only undermined trade, but has also shaken the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as Mr. Trump has consistently argued that NATO’s European members must increase their defense spending in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” President Trump recently told reporters.
Camille Grand of the European Council on Foreign Relations believes the president has a point about the transatlantic military alliance.
“On some issues, he’s essentially correct,” Grand explained. “You know, the Europeans should spend more on defense, should be much more serious on defense.”
The Europeans are aware of this and are increasing their spending on everything from training to weapons. But they are concerned that the Trump administration will abandon them anyway.
“What is troubling is the fact that there is a doubt on the robustness of the alliance as seen from Washington,” Mr. Grand said.
According to Grand, the “perception of many Europeans” is that Europe is more committed to its relationship with the United States than the other way around, and that Mr. Trump has undermined one of modern history’s most powerful alliances.