Merkel Laughs Off Grenell’s Claim Trump Charmed Her

Politico Europe reports:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted with a smile — and no comment — when a reporter asked if it was true that U.S. President Donald Trump had enchanted her.

Richard Grenell, the former U.S. director of National Intelligence and ambassador to Germany, claimed earlier this week that he watched Trump “charm” Merkel, despite the famously chilly relationship between the two leaders.

Asked during her annual summer press conference on Friday whether she could confirm Grenell’s account, Merkel said “Oh, I see,” looked down and then smiled, triggering laughter from the journalists in the room. “I don’t report from internal discussions and so I won’t comment on this now,” Merkel said.

This is one of my new favourite Merkel moments. A journalist asks her about Richard Grenell’s claim that Trump “charmed” Merkel. You don’t need to speak German to enjoy her reaction:pic.twitter.com/RSjHSNXXtX

— Marcel Dirsus (@marceldirsus) August 28, 2020