Key facts
- Anthony Scaramucci believes European leaders should be firm with U.S. President Donald Trump.
- He contrasted the approaches of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in dealing with Trump.
- Scaramucci suggested Carney's strategy of standing firm and matching tariffs is more effective than Rutte's perceived equivocation.
- He criticized Republican lawmakers for failing to challenge Trump's decisions.
Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as White House communications director, has stated that European leaders are using an ineffective strategy when engaging with U.S. President Donald Trump. He outlined two distinct approaches: the "Carney method," exemplified by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the "Rutte way," associated with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Scaramucci argued that Carney's firm stance, including walking away from trade talks and promising to match U.S. tariffs, is more effective because Trump respects assertiveness. In contrast, he believes Rutte's approach of equivocation and flattery is a mistake that erodes Trump's respect. Rutte himself has expressed admiration for Trump's contributions to NATO.
Europe has previously yielded to some of Trump's demands, such as agreeing to a 5% of GDP defense spending target by 2035. Scaramucci also criticized Republican lawmakers for their perceived lack of action in checking Trump's decisions, citing his waiver of Russian sanctions law provisions.