Mar 17, 2017

The highlights from the Trump-Merkel presser

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

With the cringeworthy non-handshakes out of the way, President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel got down to business at a joint press conference. The presser got more than a little awkward, too. The two leaders might as well have been in different rooms, as they barely addressed one another.

And to cap it off, when asked about wiretapping, Trump told Merkel that "at least we have something in common," referencing reports that the NSA wiretapped Merkel under the Obama administration.

Merkel:

Merkel kicked off her opening statement with a dig at POTUS — "It's much, much better to talk to one another than about one another."
Asked about Trump's style, Merkel said, "Sometimes it's difficult to find compromises, but that's what we've been elected for."
Merkel advocated for helping refugees and added, "This is obviously what we have an exchange of views about."

Trump:

Trump reiterated his "strong support for NATO," but added, "It is very unfair to the United States. These nations must pay what they owe."
Trump said "immigration security is national security" and stated that "immigration is a privilege, not a right."
Trump on trade: "I'm not an isolationist. I'm a free trader, but I'm also a fair trader."
Trump "very seldom" regrets his tweets and called them a way to get around the media.

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Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1 a.m. ET: 722,435 — Total deaths: 33,997 — Total recoveries: 151,991.
U.S.: Leads the world in cases. Total confirmed cases as of 1 a.m.. ET: 142,502 — Total deaths: 2,506 — Total recoveries: 4,856.
Federal government latest: President Trump says his administration will extend its "15 Days to Slow the Spread" guidelines until April 30.
Public health updates: Fauci says 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could die from virus.
State updates: Louisiana governor says state is on track to exceed ventilator capacity by end of this week — Cuomo says Trump's mandatory quarantine comments "panicked" some people into fleeing New York
World updates: Italy on Sunday reports 756 new deaths, bringing its total 10,779. Spain reports almost 840 dead, another new daily record that bring its total to over 6,500.
What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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