Merkel to meet with Trump at White House

German Chancellor Angela Merkel heads to Washington, D.C., today to work on strengthening trade and security ties between Europe and the United States. During her visit, low-key compared to that of French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week, she is expected to try to shore up U.S.-German relations without appearing to get too close to Trump, who is somewhat unpopular in Germany. Merkel and Trump will hold a 20-minute private meeting at the White House on Friday followed by a working lunch. Like France, Germany wants to preserve the Iran nuclear deal that Trump has threatened to withdraw from, but Berlin has hinted it might consider add-ons that would crack down on Tehran’s ballistic missile program.