Trump’s Greatest Critic: The German Media

Trump’s Greatest Critic: The German Media

JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images

The Trump presidency has seen a drastic decline in America’s popularity, especially in Germany.

By Josué Michels • May 23

A recently released Harvard journalism study found that 80 percent of reports of United States President Donald Trump are negative. According to the study, the president received the most negative coverage from Germany’s public broadcaster, ard, with 98 percent of its reports classified as negative.

The study conducted by Harvard Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy examined the reports of three newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post), four television networks (cnn, nbc, cbs and Fox), and three European outlets (ard, Financial Times and bbc).

Reports were classified as negative if they directly criticized President Trump, or if the reporting about the event, trend or political development shined a negative light on the presidency. The study examined the reports of the first 100 days of his presidency, and classified 80 percent of these reports as negative. The president received the most positive coverage by the Fox television network, with 48 percent of the reporting classified as positive. The two most negative U.S. media were cnn and nbc, both with 93 percent negative coverage.

The result of the study shows that the president not only receives three times more coverage than any previous president, but also that this coverage is more negative than that of any other president. The mood in Germany in particular has drastically changed. Whereas previously America has been seen as Germany’s best friend in the West, it is now seen as an enemy.

Almost all presidents prior to Trump were received mostly positively by the German people. According to a survey conducted on behalf of Frankfurter Allgemeinde Zeitung published last November, 85 percent of Germans had a negative opinion about the newly elected president. Only 4 percent of Germans had a negative opinion about former President Barack Obama. Since 1977, America’s status as Germany’s best friend has declined from 54 percent to a new low of only 18 percent.

The changing relationship between the two countries can also be seen in politics, as the governments of each clash over trade and military policies. America and Germany still share interests, but their relationship will soon break completely.

America played a major role in building up Germany after World War ii as Soviet Russia amassed on its border—thus America became Germany’s best friend. But Germany still envies America’s superpower status, and it will be quick to betray the relationship. The mood change in Germany has been prophesied in the Bible. Although the two may continue to cooperate for a short time, Germany’s hatred toward America will soon lead it to betray its friend. Watch “Germany’s Break From America” to learn about this prophesied betrayal.

https://youtu.be/r63LVF-WhI8