Patrick Chovanec

I am not making some random, breathless statement. This is my impression from both public reports and private conversations.

1. First, there's Trump's buddy act with Farage. FTA with UK is aimed at showing rest of Europe that if they quit EU, US will be supportive.

2. Then there are Bannon's close & active ties with Le Pen and other nationalist parties in Europe -> Le Pen's recent visit to Trump Tower.

3. Then Trump publicly talks down Merkel and calls EU "basically a vehicle for Germany". Not to mention repeat slams on NATO.

4. Then there's the report that Team Trump's first formal contact with EU was to ask them "which country will leave next?"

5. I see the key ideological driver here as Bannon, playing into Trump's Eurosceptic pre-dispositions.

@prchovanec why is the EU - as opposed to NATO - in the US' interest?

@GrayConnolly one doesn't have to endorse Eurocrat excess to recognize common market is economic component of this:https://twitter.com/prchovanec/status/799231071954944000 …

@GrayConnolly go back to the coal & steel community, which was effort to remove Franco-German bone of contention that sparked 2 world wars.

@GrayConnolly I've often been critical of both Eurocracy and efforts at over-integration, including the Euro.

@prchovanec I just think NATO was the ideal vehicle for the West & the EU (not EEC) was insane

@GrayConnolly the goal should be to reform and rethink the EU, not abolish it (throwing baby out with bathwater).

@prchovanec not for the UK...Brexit means out.

@prchovanec don't disagree: could be new admin's policy byproduct, but any links to quotes/articles from advisors suggesting as much?

@TheZachBroyles I've heard it expressed in private, very clearly. But see my thread for more public indications.

@TheZachBroyles to be clear, I'm not saying that everyone in Trump Administration is on board with this. Many are not.

@prchovanec it's not like policy is synchronous across cabinet, or in T's own words.