Trump, in Poland, Asks if West Has the ‘Will to Survive’ - nytimes

WARSAW — President Trump said on Thursday that Western civilization was at risk of decline, bringing a message about “radical Islamic terrorism” and “the creep of government bureaucracy” to the one European capital he views as most hospitable to his nationalist message.

Mr. Trump, who broke with tradition by attacking American leaders and institutions while abroad, delivered his message in a speech to a friendly Polish crowd before a two-day summit meeting of Group of 20leaders in Hamburg, Germany.

Hours later, he flew from Warsaw to Hamburg, where he held a low-key private meeting with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who perhaps best symbolizes the deep skepticism shared by Western leaders toward Mr. Trump’s persona and his policies, ranging from addressing climate change to confronting Russia.

In what may be a foretaste of the scene in Hamburg, 12,000 protesters vowing to disrupt the summit meeting converged for a protest Thursday night called “Welcome to Hell.” The police said some protesters attacked officers with bottles, poles and iron bars. Up to 100,000 protesters were expected in the coming days.

Mr. Trump roused his Polish hosts by recounting the country’s history of resistance to invaders, including Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. But he said nothing about the right-wing government’s crackdown on judges and journalists and its refusal to accept more migrants, policies that have upset European Union leaders. He instead praised Poland as a defender of liberty in the face of existential threats.

“The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive,” he said. “Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?” - Read More

Trump, in Poland, Asks if West Has the 'Will to Survive' - The New York ..