United States President Donald Trump complained about the German trade surplus again at a meeting with European Union leaders on Thursday. Spiegel Online at first reported that the American president referred to Germans as evil. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker later said this was a misunderstanding and that Trump was not upset at Germans in general, but about Germany’s trade behavior.

The first headline broke and aroused uproar in Germany: “Trump in Brüssel: ‘Die Deutschen sind böse, sehr böse,’” (“Trump in Brussels: ‘The Germans are evil, very evil’”) (Trumpet translation throughout). Juncker defended Trump, explaining to the Germans in their own language that the word “bad,” in the context of the conversation, should not be translated böse. Junker said, “There is a problem with the translation. It is exaggerated. ‘Bad’ does not mean evil.”

But leaving aside the possible exaggeration, Mr. Trump’s previous statements concerning Germany’s trade policies are already controversial enough to spark a conflict. Trump is very annoyed about Germany’s trade surplus, and Germany is aggravated and ready to confront him.

President Trump’s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, said that the president does not have a problem with Germany as a whole but only with its trade policy. Last January, Trump caused another uproar by threatening to put a 35 percent levy on German cars produced in the U.S. Last Thursday, he supposedly told EU leaders that he is going to stop Germany from continuing to sell millions of cars to the U.S.

Juncker tried to defend Germany and free trade in the discussion, but Trump’s standpoint remains unchanged: The U.S. is entangled in an unfair trade relationship with Germany. Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the European participants were surprised at the ignorance of their American counterparts. For example, they said, the American side did not understand that the EU only concludes deals as union and not as individual countries.

The European Union might be internally divided, but when dealing with the new American president, they stand united. Britain is already suffering under this phenomenon, and President Trump is about to face the same dilemma. As he seeks to get the best deal for American business, he will soon see Europe and the world unite against him. The U.S. might still be the single greatest powerhouse in the world, but it cannot stand against a united European front. America only has two options: continue to lose out in its trade relations, or risk a trade war. President Trump chose the latter.

Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Plain Truth magazine, warned about America’s dilemma in the March 1971 issue:

Either we start raising high tariff barriers against other countries, starting a trade war which in time will trigger the nuclear war that will destroy us—or American workers are going to have to meet the competition of the workers in other countries, by lowering living standards. Obviously American workers are not going to choose to do the latter. And if they don’t—well, the handwriting is on our national wall.

The Trumpet has previously written that Germany and Europe are preparing for a coming trade war with the U.S. The recent news is giving these preparations the needed urgency. Europe is well prepared and willing to respond to Trump’s ongoing threats. Bible prophecy tells us who will win the war over trade. Read “Trade Wars Have Begun” to learn where the looming trade war is heading.