Donald Trump talked for almost three minutes straight on Sunday about “the worst form of energy,” wind turbines.
Nothing new there. Except this time, he did so while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sat by his side without saying a word.
While announcing a trade deal that involves massive European purchases of American energy, Trump bashed turbines as “very destructive” and “environmentally unsound,” insisting he will not allow them to be built in the U.S.
Lamenting that they can be found “all over Europe”—including on the horizon from the 18th hole at his Turnberry golf course—the U.S. president effectively accused von der Leyen and other Brussels officials who back the ‘green’ energy source of falling for the spin pushed by “political hacks.”
“The whole thing,” he added, “is a con job.”
It ruins the landscape, it kills the birds, they’re noisy.
In short: “Horrible.”
Figures on the European right were, of course, delighted by the comments. Responding to Trump’s earlier denouncement of wind turbines, just moments after he stepped off ‘Trump Force One’ in Scotland, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the president was “bang on the money” and that Europe must “Scrap Net Stupid Zero.”
Tory peer David Frost added that it was “superb” that von der Leyen had to “sit there and listen to it. Perhaps she might learn something!”
