Scholz on US Elections: Not a Good Approach for US Allies

In a recent interview, German chancellor Olaf Scholz rolled out his apparent playbook for navigating the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and it’s a master class in precisely how U.S. allies should not conduct themselves.

The context in which he did this is instructive, because so many of America’s friends have already taken a savvier path, demonstrating a willingness to build bridges with former president Trump and others in GOP circles ahead of the election and his possible return to the White House. Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso and Polish president Andrzej Duda visited him at Trump Tower this spring. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg delivered an address at the Heritage Foundation, which would almost certainly staff up a future Trump administration. The reporting about these high-profile overtures suggests that they were well-received. That’s good news, because as Russia, Iran, China, and other anti-U.S. dictatorships wage war and threaten new conflicts, it’s more important than ever that the next president have strong working relationships with the leaders of allied countries.

About the Author

Jimmy Quinn

Jimmy Quinn is the former national security correspondent for National Review.

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In a recent interview, German chancellor Olaf Scholz rolled out his apparent playbook for navigating the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and it’s a master class in precisely how U.S. allies should not conduct themselves.

The context in which he did this is instructive, because so many of America’s friends have already taken a savvier path, demonstrating a willingness to build bridges with former president Trump and others in GOP circles ahead of the election and his possible return to the White House. Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso and Polish president Andrzej Duda visited him at Trump Tower this spring. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg delivered an address at the Heritage Foundation, which would almost certainly staff up a future Trump administration. The reporting about these high-profile overtures suggests that they were well-received. That’s good news, because as Russia, Iran, China, and other anti-U.S. dictatorships wage war and threaten new conflicts, it’s more important than ever that the next president have strong working relationships with the leaders of allied countries.