Trump views Germany as political opponent: senior SPD lawmaker

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Parliamentary faction leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Thomas Oppermann (R) reacts next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a session of the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, December 18, 2014. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear with his latest tweet that he views Germany as a political opponent, said a senior German lawmaker from the Social Democrats, junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition. "Donald Trump makes clear with his tweet that he views Germany as a political opponent," Thomas Oppermann, head of the Social Democrats' (SPD) parliamentary group, told reporters on Tuesday. Trump criticised Germany earlier on Tuesday for its trade surplus and military spending levels, a day after Merkel rammed home her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally. In his tweet, Trump said: "We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change." (Reporting by Matthias Sobolewski; Writing by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Paul Carrel)