The Trump administration apparently tried to shame Germany into assisting in Syria airstrike by citing the Holocaust

Angela Merkel.
(Image credit: Jochen Zick - Pool / Getty Images)

German Prime Minister Angela Merkel faced criticism last week after she announced that "Germany will not take part in military action" against Syria in response to a recent chemical weapons attack on civilians. While France and Britain were on board with the U.S.-led retaliatory strike, Merkel emphasized that despite not taking action, "we see and support that everything is done to send a signal that this use of chemical weapons is not acceptable."

That apparently wasn't enough for the Trump administration, which reportedly tried to "shame Merkel's government into helping," Bloomberg Politics writes based on a conversation with a U.S. official. Bloomberg adds that the White House specifically argued that "Germany of all nations should be appalled by the use of chemical weapons on civilians."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.