WASHINGTON −Another day, another startled leader in the Oval Office.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attempted to provide President Donald Trump with some positive reinforcement by crediting Americans for ending a war in Europe during his visit to the White House on June 5.
He reminded Trump their meeting was taking place a day before the 81st anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces, most of them U.S. troops, invaded Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the end of World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany.
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The U.S. could play such a role in the Russia-Ukraine war, said Merz.
“We are having June 6th tomorrow, this is D-Day anniversary, when the Americans once ended a war in Europe,” Merz said.
“That was not a pleasant day for you,” Trump responded. “This was not a great day.”
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Merz replied: “In the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from a Nazi dictator.”
D-Day, on June 6, 1944, marked a pivotal moment in World War II, bringing together the land, air and sea forces of the Allied armies in the largest amphibious invasion in history. Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day – more than 4,400 of whom died in the assault.
The German leader was in town to talk about a range of issues from increased NATO spending, trade and applying “more pressure on Russia” to end its three-year-old war on Ukraine.
More: WWII bombs found in Cologne, Germany prompt evacuations
“We know what we owe you… this is the reason why I’m saying that America is again in a very strong position to do something on this war and ending this war,” he said.
Merz was not the first world leader to encounter an awkward situation in the Oval Office.
Watch: Trump photo of dead ‘White farmers’ is from Congo, not South Africa, video shows
Last month, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office saying White South Africans are the victims of “genocide” – an accusation the South African government and human rights experts say is not supported by evidence.
And in February, Trump and Vice President JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before live cameras in the Oval Office, accusing him of ingratitude for U.S. support.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump tells German leader D-Day was ‘not a pleasant day for you’
