European leaders are pushing back after President Donald Trump slammed the continent as "weak" and in a state of decay.
In a lengthy interview with Politico Tuesday, Trump criticized the European Union's handling of migration and the Russia-Ukraine war, and suggested he would support European candidates who share his views.
"I think they're weak," Trump told the outlet, referring to the EU's current presidents and prime ministers. "I think they don't know what to do. Europe doesn't know what to do."
Trump singled out Britain, France, Germany, Poland, and Sweden, saying they were being "destroyed" by migration, and renewed his attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him "horrible, vicious, [and] disgusting."
European Council President António Costa responded to Trump's remarks by saying Europe and the United States "must act as allies," and urged the U.S. president to show "respect."
"We respect the choice of Americans, and they need to respect the democratic choices of our citizens," Costa said at a press conference in Ireland later in the day.
"When all the leaders elect me president of the European Council, President Trump must respect this, as we respect that American citizens elected him president of the United States. This is how allies behave with each other," he added.
The EU has faced consistent criticism from the Trump administration, with pressure amplified by the war in Ukraine, trade disputes, and recent legal action involving Trump ally Elon Musk's X.
On Saturday, Musk called for the EU to be "abolished" after regulators fined X €120 million (about $140 million), accusing the platform of violating transparency requirements related to paid verification, advertising disclosures, and researcher access.
European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho told Politico that the bloc remains proud of its leadership.
"We are very pleased and grateful to have excellent leaders, starting with the leader in this house, President of the European Commission von der Leyen, who we are really proud of, who can lead us through the many challenges that the world is facing," Pinho said.
"So let me use the opportunity to reiterate what is the sense of many of the millions of citizens in the EU: We are proud of our leaders," she added.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin agreed, saying that a reflection of Europe's strength can be found in its economy.
"It depends on how one defines strength, but Europe is one of the strongest continents in the world in terms of economic strength," Martin said. "Europe is strong, not weak."
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