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KU expert says a second Trump term 'will be a difficult 4 years for Europe'

President Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, last month. Freedom House notes Trump's embrace of authoritarian leaders such as Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
Susan Walsh
/
AP
President Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan.

A professor of European politics at the University of Kansas says that Donald Trump's proposed tariffs could hurt consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. His victory could also spell trouble for Ukraine.

Dr. Robert Rohrschneider studies European politics and political movements at the University of Kansas. He tells KCUR's Up To Date that a second term of President Trump will bring uncertainty to U.S.-European relations at a challenging time for the continent.

"It will be a difficult four years for Europe," he says. "There's no doubt about it."

Trump's proposed tariffs, which include the European automotive sector, could affect consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

"That will put that industry in the extremely difficult position," Rohrschneider says. "We are so interrelated and so integrated with each other's economies that I'm hopeful it won't come to a point where both sides would suffer."

Rohrschneider also says that Trump's victory could spell trouble for Ukraine.

"If the United States hardware falls by the wayside, then the Ukraine is in a pickle, and so is Europe," Rohrschneider says.

The rise of right-wing populist movements on both sides of the Atlantic speak to a trend Rohrschneider has studied for decades.

"The decline of confidence in Western institutions and democratic institutions is not new," he says. "These issues that support the rise of a right-wing populist party will not go away."

  • Dr. Robert Rohrschneider, University of Kansas professor
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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As the 2024-2025 Up to Date intern, I am passionate about finding diverse stories that allow public radio to serve as a platform for people in our area to share what matters to them. I grew up in the Kansas City metro, graduated from the University of Arkansas, and have previously worked as a producer for KUAF, Northwest Arkansas' NPR affiliate station. Email me at jmarvine@kcur.org.
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