Trump ruffles feathers by calling Germans 'bad' on trade
US President Donald Trump has said Germans are "bad" for having a large trade surplus with the United States, drawing attention to a contentious issue at a summit of world leaders where trade is already a sticking point.
As the meeting of leaders from seven wealthy democracies gathered for difficult talks on trade and climate change, Germany's Der Spiegel reported that Trump had told EU leaders the day before that the Germans were "bad, very bad."
White House economic adviser Gary Cohn sought to clarify the situation Friday, noting that the president "said they're very bad on trade, but he doesn't have a problem with Germany." Trump had also noted that "his dad is from Germany" and said: "'I don't have a problem Germany. I have a problem with German trade."
