From bafflement to a cold stare, the German chancellor’s reactions during her visit to Washington have been dissected on social media

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Angela Merkel has reacted with surprise and bemusement to an attempted joke by Donald Trump that suggested one thing they had in common was that they had both been wiretapped by the Obama administration.

The US president’s indelicate quip was made during a media conference in which the difficult relationship between the pair was put on show.

After Trump suggested they shared the experience of being covertly monitored by the previous government, the German chancellor couldn’t hide her surprise, narrowing her eyes and wincing before staring at the president with barely disguised astonishment.

mactavish (@mactavish) RT @marceldirsus: We are all Merkel pic.twitter.com/Sj7RdLp5Hy

Reports of the Obama administration’s spying activities on its allies infuriated Merkel and Germany at the time and risked damaging the US relationship with one of its most important European partners.



In contrast, Trump’s unproven recent allegations against his predecessor have left him increasingly isolated, with fellow Republican as well as Democratic lawmakers saying they’ve seen nothing from intelligence agencies to support his claim.

MayTe (@TraceyTorres) #merkeltrump A picture worth a thousand words! #TrumpLiesMatter pic.twitter.com/TmSeewOcvy

Merkel’s reaction to his outlandish claim was noted on social media.

Sarah Wood (@SarahWoodwriter) A visual representation of 'WTF' in real life. #Trump #Merkel #merkeltrump pic.twitter.com/YrFNSu5MLr

Public scrutiny of the German chancellor’s facial expressions during her visit to Washington did not end there.

As well as her less-than-impressed reaction to Trump’s wiretapping claim, she also appeared uncomfortable after the president refused to shake her hand during a photo call.

Associated Press contributed to this report

