The president-elect mistook Jean-Claude Juncker for Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, Juncker says: ‘Trump spoke to Mr Tusk and mixed us up’

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Donald Trump apparently mistook Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, for another top European Union official during a phone call and subsequent media interview this week.

Juncker, the EU’s chief executive, said he and the president-elect had never spoken, contrary to Trump’s statements earlier in the week. Juncker said Trump had spoken with Donald Tusk, who is the president of the European Council.

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“Trump spoke to Mr Tusk and mixed us up,” Juncker told Germany’s BR television, according to a transcript from the Munich station. “That’s the thing about international politics. It’s all in the detail.”

In an interview with The Times and Bild this week, Trump said he had spoken with “the head of the European Union” and confirmed that he spoke with Juncker when a reporter clarified.

From the transcript of the interview:

What is your view on the future of the European Union? Do you expect more countries to leave the European Union? I think it’s tough. I spoke to the head of the European Union, very fine gentleman called me up. Mr Juncker? Yes, ah, to congratulate me on what happened with respect to the election. Uh, I think it’s very tough. I think it’s tough. People, countries want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity but, I do believe this, if they hadn’t been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many, with all the problems that it, you know, entails, I think that you wouldn’t have a Brexit. It probably could have worked out but, this was the final straw, this was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. I think people want, people want their own identity, so if you ask me, others, I believe others will leave.

Juncker also scolded Trump for “indirectly encouraging” EU states to leave the bloc and follow Britain’s example.



“We don’t go around calling on Ohio to pull out of the United States,” Juncker said.

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Juncker and Tusk have divided up their contacts with the Trump administration, the Daily Telegraph reports, with Juncker speaking to incoming vice-president Mike Pence and Tusk dealing with Trump.

The president of the European commission is the head of the EU’s executive branch, which manages its day to day business. The European council, of which Tusk is the president, is the body made up of EU heads of government or state.

EU legislators also voiced their displeasure at Trump’s comments on Brexit.

The Associated Press quoted Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of the largest liberal group in the European parliament, as calling Trump’s comments “insane”.

“What would happen in the United States when European leaders would say ‘Oh, we think California will break away,’” Verhofstadt asked, adding that the EU’s ambassador would immediately be called to Washington should such comments be made.

Tusk told legislators on Wednesday that they would have “too many opportunities to comment” on Trump’s words.

“I am afraid we will have too many opportunities to comment on the words of U.S. president and no longer President-elect Trump,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “I am afraid it will be our daily work.”

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report