What’s happening: Trump has perfected what European officials describe as a 10-minute monologue on what he views as Germany’s major sins: unfair trade with the U.S. (especially on cars), inadequate defense spending, and loose immigration policy leading to an invasion of radical Islamists.

Between the lines: Merkel is politically weak, domestically, and Trump has been exploiting this situation. He’s been hammering away at her for months, saying that he thinks it’s hypocritical that Germany views Russia as a bad actor worth confronting and yet at the same time spends a paltry amount on its defense and appears eager to purchase Russian gas.