Trump or Biden, the U.S. and Europe Will Split
If Donald Trump wins on Nov. 3, the transatlantic rupture will be fast and disastrous. With Joe Biden, it’ll be slower and open-ended.
At least the chemistry would be better.
Photographer: Steffen Kugler/Pool/Getty Images
Slowly but surely, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge keeps pushing the North American and European plates apart, at the rate of about an inch a year. Something similar is happening in geopolitical tectonics. One generation ago the U.S. was western Europe’s indispensable ally. Today, under President Donald Trump, it often looks more like Europe’s “foe” (Trump’s word) than friend.
That’s why Europeans, too, are waiting with bated breath for the U.S. presidential election next month. If Trump wins, the transatlantic rift will make another audible crack. If Joe Biden wins, the loudest sound will be the popping of champagne corks. But before long, Europeans will have to admit that the gradual estrangement continues no matter who’s in the White House.