Trump says EU was born to 'screw' U.S.

The European Union (EU) was born to "screw" the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday during the first cabinet meeting of his second presidency.

"The European Union was formed to screw the United States – that's the purpose of it and they've done a good job of it," Trump told reporters in Washington, D.C. "But now I'm president."

Trump said he would soon release details of his latest tariff threat. "We have made a decision and we'll be announcing it very soon. It'll be 25 percent," he said.

The European Commission immediately shot back. "The European Union is the world's largest free market. And it has been a boon for the United States," the AFP quoted a European Commission source as saying Wednesday.

The source also said that the EU would respond "firmly and immediately" to new tariffs.

"The EU wasn't formed to screw anyone," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rebutted Trump's words on X, noting that "Quite the opposite. It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. As simple as that."

In recent weeks, the U.S. administration has thrown the United States-Europe partnership into turmoil by vowing to impose higher import taxes on European goods, claiming they would equal the tariffs imposed on U.S. exports.

(With input from agencies)