'Trump Is Temporary,' Democrats Tell Europe

American politicians of both parties used this year's Munich Security Conference to assure European leaders that US alliances remain intact despite political turbulence under President Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered the main US address, signaling that transatlantic ties have been damaged but not severed. The large Democratic contingent at the conference focused almost exclusively on calming anxieties about US reliability, suggesting current tensions will not define the long term, the BBC reports. "Donald Trump is temporary," California Gov. Gavin Newsom told one event. "He'll be gone in three years."

The message often was bipartisan, echoing the comfort Rubio offered without the criticism. "The reason we're here is to provide reassurance that we understand how important our European allies are," Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis echoed that, noting that the US and Europe were not in a "civil war" and cautioned American allies not to get caught up in the "rhetoric of American politics." Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said the US is "going through something profound," adding, "We'll get through it." Sen. Ruben Gallego found it to be "a very good conference to reassure nerves," per the BBC. "Sometimes you have to remind them that this is not all Trump. ... We're still here." But there was reason to think the reassurances didn't take.

The European Union foreign policy chief on Sunday rejected the notion that what she mockingly called "woke, decadent Europe" faces "civilizational erasure"—a shot included in the US national security strategy released in December. "In fact, people still want to join our club and not just fellow Europeans," Kaja Kallas said in her speech, per the AP. She added that she was told when in Canada last year that people there are interested in joining the EU. Kallas also rejected what she called the bashing of Europe. "We are, you know, pushing humanity forward, trying to defend human rights and all this, which is actually bringing also prosperity for people." The conference ended Sunday.