Are Europeans 'pathetic European free loaders'?

[ImmediateReaction]

WhatsApp chat released today from the US calling Europeans 'pathetic European free-loaders'.

One of our closest allies! What about support from European countries after September 11th?

AIBU to expect more professional language?

Well I'm a European that has been listening to the Americans asking us to up our defence payments for years and years (pre Trump) and we've mainly ignored that yet still felt entitled to their protection. I'm not surprised that it's this administration that has got angry about it and is now treating Europe in the way it is. Of course he should be presidential and use diplomatic language but he doesn't possess these abilities so he's going to treat us like a naughty toddler who hasn't done as requested and punish us.

I am a lot more concerned that they're discussing classified military manoeuvres in a group chat with randos added with no checks as to who's in there and who isn't before shooting their mouths off about which Houthi targets they're bombing next. That's what we should all be very bothered about. The shitty comments are just icing on the cake but I hope that doesn't distract people from the very real and concerning international security issue here.

https://bsky.app/profile/ottocr.at/post/3ll5eriq2t22k

Just a reminder, the EU has been operating a naval mission in the seas around Yemen to keep freedom of navigation open "at great cost" since 2008. A number of non-EU countries have contributed, including Ukraine... not the US though. I guess you could call that American free-loading. https://eunavfor.eu/

I think it’s long past time people started to realise the US is not one of our close allies and has not been for a very long time. We are incredibly different culturally (and I mean Europe as a region).

We should have been forging greater links among European nation instead.

I wonder how the European / proTrump MAGA crowd feel. Although they probably hate European countries as much as Commander Waterford does.

And the people who elected them.

He isn't going to and neither are other European leaders

We are not powerful enough, Europe is not powerful enough its not just about the so called special relationship that hasn't been for years its about peace in Europe.

Roll on 2028

Also this is such an astonishing security breach. The US is being run by a pack of unqualified Frat boys.

And Trumps response to their leak was truly pathetic - questioning the integrity of the Atlantic because of a cock-up by his guys.

Also in my industry of we had this kind of leak of sensitive data people would be fired. Immediately.

Yes but we have been pulling our weight when it comes to dealing with a societal consequences of US invasions in Middle East in form of refugees from the region. The US invades and fucks back to their land with a convenience of being separated from the mess they create by an ocean, whilst we have to deal with over million of people and increased risk of terrorism.

I guess about half the US thinks like this but please don't think everyone does!! There's a reason you see American tourists all over Europe, people celebrating their European roots, eating European foods etc etc, people love Europe

Trump people clearly want to believe all the far right disinformation out there, especially Vance, you can see it in his Munich speech. They really believe stuff like London no go areas, great replacement etc, they agree with Putins narrative that we forced him to invade Ukraine

I do think Europe needs to pay more for its own defence but that's now happening. I think the old alliance is dead, even if Relations are repaired they will never be the same

The Atlantic article which broke the story, utterly jaw dropping:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/?gift=kPTlqn0J1iP9IBZcsdI5IVJpB2t9BYyxpzU4sooa69M&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Well considering they were warned, the answer is "nothing different".

"Project Fear" remember ?

You have to be a bit thick to look at the US in 2016 (as Brexiteers did, well those that are still here) and think "that's going to get better isn't it ?"

That’s true.

I vote we cancel the cheque, LTB, and go no contact

This is very true. Wasn't there a case recently with some UK politicians being really disrespectful in a WhatsApp group?

Obviously it doesn't make it right because other people do it, but I think politicians who post potentially offensive things in private groups often forget they are at work and their co-workers may have an axe to grind at some point in the future......

Always best to follow the motto 'don't post anything online that you wouldn't be prepared to stand up and say out loud in front of everyone' - especially if you're a politician!!

What we have here isa load of apprentice candidates busily puffing themselves up whilst actually being complete amateurs with zero diplomacy skills. Thing is I could have predicted this as Trump needs to surround himself with sycophants because any Republican with morals and a brain has exited stage left , retired or just distanced themselves- I don’t think the Democrats had a great candidate but to be frank I would have voted anything but Trump if I was in the USA- I would take a bit ‘too much woke’ over an unstable narcisstic lunatic any day -

Totally agree, ErrolTheDragon; it's all very well EU leaders running around like blue arsed flies after convincing themselves Trump would never be elected again, but much could have been put in place long before this if they hadn't gone on assuming the US would always pay

FWIW I'm not keen on the language being used either, but if we're talking about lack of awareness that also includes the many who really don't appreciate how many Americans resent always being expected to pay for everyone else

The US (in the form of Trump) is no longer an ally and I don't think anyone in Europe views him as one. What several leaders and officials have very carefully said is that (paraphrasing), whilst Trump is more dangerous than anticipated, they don't blame the American people or the wider American government (what's left of it). They know they'll need to work with these people again at some point, so they're not going to act like Trump and stomp their feet and rant and rave, they're just going to go quietly about preparing for a world with one less ally in it (and potentially one more dangerous enemy). A few have also been open about the fact that it's given them a massive kick to improve their defence spending and active planning with their neighbours.

Americans need respect. If they're not gonna respect us, we shouldn't respect them.

You have a point. However, this is not the way to go about it. Hopefully, Europeans will come together & move away from US influence. This should have been underway 20 years ago as it is obvious that only the very naïve believe the USA is our 'special' friend.

The US government have previously involved themselves in Europe for trade reasons and to peg Russia back.

It wasn’t philanthropy.

Clearly there has been a sea change under Trump and the US are allying themselves with Russia. They can’t be relied upon.

Let’s hope we can sort out a single market arrangement with the EU asap.

Trump and Putin want to carve up the rest of the world between them.

This

The US (in the form of Trump) is no longer an ally and I don't think anyone in Europe views him as one.

Sorry, it's not "just Trump".

The whole US is no longer an ally (if it ever was one).

Really, Britain should know this more than anyone. As an Empire we too had no allies, nor enemies. Just interests.

This is a new era. Not entirely unexpected. Certainly not unconsidered. Just happening faster than people would have imagined. Which tends to be the way of history.

I think life is very hard for Americans. It's built on promising the American Dream to anyone who works hard but that has become a con because it only builds wealth for those at the absolute pinnacle. So the leadership do the classic switch - look, those greedy Mexicans / Europeans are making you poor!

They genuinely believe any savings will reach their pockets rather than making the billionaires richer. A bit like Brexiteers believed the bloody bus slogans and thought more money would save the NHS.