U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at the European Union, calling it “nastier” than China and declaring that EU countries should pay more for prescription drugs, during his address on Monday, May 12.
“The European Union is in many ways nastier than China, OK, we just started with them,” Trump told reporters. “We have all the cards. They treated us very unfairly. They sell us 13m cars. We sell them none. They sell us their agricultural products. We sell them for virtually none. They don’t take our products. That gives us all the cards. And it’s very unfair.”
Trump was particularly critical of the EU’s approach. “The European Union has been brutal, brutal. And the drug companies actually told me stories it was just brutal, how they forced them,” he said.
Trump made the comments while unveiling a sweeping executive order aimed at slashing drug prices in the United States. As part of the new executive order, Trump promised immediate relief for American consumers. “Big Pharma will either abide by this principle voluntarily or we will use the power of the federal government to ensure that we are paying the same price as other countries,” he warned.The announcement comes amid signs of easing tensions with China. Trump, who has often targeted Beijing with tariffs and trade complaints, said he had achieved a “total reset” in relations and hinted at a possible call with President Xi Jinping by the end of the week.
