‘A warning not an insult’: US doubles down on criticism of Europe

Forecast of Europe’s ‘civilisational erasure’ was part of call for pro-growth reform, says Trump official

Donald Trump’s administration has doubled down on its recent criticism of Europe, saying last month’s US national security strategy was an attempt to “jolt” an ally back to economic life.

The document was widely condemned in Europe as representing a seismic shift in the 70-year transatlantic alliance with its dark references to a purported threat of “civilisational erasure” with migration and censorship creating “strife”, “cratering birthrates” and “loss of national identities”.