EU Leader: If Trump Keeps Pushing Brexit I’ll Back US State Secession

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the Summit and celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. EU Summit, Rome, Italy - 25 Mar 2017 (Rex Features via AP Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday said that he’ll encourage individual states to secede from the U.S. if President Donald Trump keeps pushing for other countries to leave the European Union.

“The newly elected U.S. president was happy that Brexit was taking place and was asking other countries to do the same,” Juncker said at the center-right European People’s Party congress in Malta, as quoted by CNN. “If he goes on like that I am going to promote the independence of Ohio and Austin, Texas, in the United States of America.”

Trump in June 2016 appeared unaware of the term “Brexit.”

“Brexit? Your position?” interviewer Michael Wolff asked Trump.

“Huh?” Trump replied, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“Brexit,” Wolff repeated.

“Hmm,” Trump said.

Upon clarification, Trump — who was at the time the Republican nominee — declared that he supported it.

Later in June, a day after the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, Trump blamed Obama and took credit for predicting the outcome of the referendum.

In August 2016, Trump tweeted that he would soon be known as “MR. BREXIT.”

He did not clarify who “they” were or what the new moniker (which has not gained popularity since) would mean.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump was a “leader in the effort to call Brexit.”

Spicer told reporters that Trump is “very well steeped in world affairs, especially Europe, NATO, all the issues.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday said that he’ll encourage individual states to secede from the U.S. if President Donald Trump keeps pushing for other countries to leave the European Union.

    Oo, la la! Les tits pour les tats!

  2. Exactly, why just Austin and Ohio? The Brits may be right about Junker. A technocrat who lacks true vision.

  3. Sadly, we have a real issue. The part of the country most likely to secede, all things being equal, is the South. (Since the last time the South left we got land-grant universities and the Homestead Act, I’m all in favor of it.) However, the Nyarker in charge is highly supported by the South, making it much less likely to secede.

  4. Avatar for sanni sanni says:

    I am glad to re-read the recap of how Trump was clueless about Brexit weeks before the vote. His pathetic press conference in Scotland, to promote his club and tiny hotel, was when he declared some kind of almost ownership over the issue - which he has done ever since.

    As trump tweet wages war on dems and the freedom caucus, his ongoing pushing affinity for Brexit elicits a push back from the Leader of the EU. Great Coalition Builder.

    He must really believe that “Only I, alone can fix (insert random topic)” - b/c he’s alienating the hell out of everyone else.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

66 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for redrasputinmn Avatar for timp Avatar for gelfling545 Avatar for jloomis3 Avatar for earlgreyparty Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for irasdad Avatar for quitty Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for sanni Avatar for captaincommonsense Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for tena Avatar for johniwaniszek Avatar for eduardo333 Avatar for richard_b Avatar for j.dave Avatar for canyoncountry Avatar for timbo Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for socalista Avatar for the_loan_arranger

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: