Rep. Connolly notes unprecedented European anxiety over the possibility of a Trump victory

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said Sunday that Europeans are “anxious” about a potential second presidency by former President Donald Trump.

Connolly was asked about recent comments made by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who said that making Trump president again would help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the war in Gaza. The Virginia lawmaker pushed back against Cotton’s assessment, arguing that Europeans are afraid of another Trump presidency.

“I have been very involved in NATO, in the Parliamentary Assembly, the legislative arm of NATO, for the last decade-plus, and I can tell you I have never seen Europeans as anxious about American politics as they are right now,” Connolly said. “Everything’s at stake.”

Connolly added that NATO has been effective amid the war in Ukraine, as Russia has not attacked other nations that are a part of the alliance. He then stated that questioning the effectiveness of NATO is “really reckless.”

The congressman was also asked about the recent European Union elections, which saw right-wing parties experience several major victories. Connolly said it was “alarming” to see “far-right parties” undergo these victories and added that the victories reflect “deep concern” about the status of immigration in European countries.

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Among the recent elections was that of France, where the National Rally party received over 30% of the vote as of 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, over twice as much as French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party. The National Rally’s principles include “putting an end to settlement immigration” and allowing companies to increase wages by 10%.

Macron has responded to the election results by dissolving his country’s National Assembly and announcing a snap legislative election to be held within the next 30 days, marking the first time a French president has used this power since 1997.