Angela Merkel's challenger Martin Schulz slams Donald Trump as German election draws near

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief rival, Social Democrat Martin Schulz, slammed US President Donald Trump and said he still stands a chance to win the election despite polls showing him trailing six weeks ahead of the contest.

Schulz said he wouldn’t criticise Merkel’s approach to a possible nuclear conflict over North Korea, saying German political parties should stand together. Instead, he turned his ire to Trump, saying the US leader was responsible for sowing chaos at home and abroad, referring to a white nationalists’ demonstration in Virginia over the weekend.

“I certainly won’t exploit a crisis that this completely irresponsible man in the White House has produced, both in the US — take a look at these Nazi demonstrations — as well on the international level,” Schulz told broadcaster ZDF on Sunday.

In a second appearance later in the day with broadcaster RTL, Schulz said that Trump “lowers himself to the level of a North Korean dictator” with his rhetoric.

“Trump is an unpredictable personality,” Schulz told a studio audience.

Schulz declined to be drawn out on whether the Social Democrats would agree again to join a Merkelled government, insisting that he shouldn’t be ruled out as the next chancellor.