John Kerry slams Trump for 'stepping into' other countries' politics

John Kerry in London
(Image credit: Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday said President-elect Donald Trump's tendency to insert himself into the political matters of foreign countries is "inappropriate." Kerry spoke specifically about Trump's recent remarks criticizing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept a wave of refugees, which Trump called "one very catastrophic mistake" in an interview with German publication Bild.

"I thought frankly it was inappropriate for a president-elect of the United States to be stepping into the politics of other countries in a quite direct manner," Kerry told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. Kerry, for his part, called Merkel's refugee policy "extremely courageous."

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Jessica Hullinger

Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.