Article snippet: MORE’s relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel seemingly couldn’t get any colder. The two have been at odds since before his presidency began. Trump ripped Merkel during the campaign and didn't shake her hand the first time she visited Washington after his inauguration. Merkel, who enjoyed a strong relationship with President Obama, has responded in kind. Her office released a now-famous photo after the G-7 summit in Canada earlier this year that appeared to depict her staring down Trump. For many, the photo highlighted Trump's isolation among western leaders. On policies, the two are far apart. Trump's “America First” agenda has meant tariffs on German exports and a hard public line on taking in immigrants and refugees. Merkel has pressed for free trade and more open borders, though she faces resistance to some of those policies at home. On Wednesday, relations sank even lower, with President Trump kicking off a NATO summit by accusing the U.S. ally of being a Russian “captive.” The cumulative effect could chip away at the U.S.’s relationship with the person many consider Europe’s de facto leader, and undermine the unity of the NATO alliance as a whole. “I think it’s just stormy seas ahead for U.S.-German relations, and particularly Trump I think is using the visit to Brussels as an opening salvo in a potentially wider trade war with key members of the EU like Germany,” said Mark Simakovsky, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasi... Link to the full article to read more