Bloomberg Talks Sen. Elissa Slotkin Talks US Tariffs, Relationship with US
Feb 13, 2026
Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator from Michigan and former Pentagon and intelligence official, discusses U.S.-Europe relations and restoring trust with allies. She addresses tariffs and bipartisan pushback, cooperation with Europe on China, and concerns about threats to democratic institutions. Brief, urgent takes from the Munich Security Conference.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
U.S. Is In A Temporary Crisis
- Elissa Slotkin says many U.S. lawmakers are here to show Europe that not all Americans back the president's approach to allies.
- She believes the U.S. is in a crisis but expects a democratic recovery after a fight.
Erratic Policy Erodes Trust
- Slotkin warns erratic U.S. behavior undermines trust and damages long-term relationships with allies.
- She stresses alienating friends harms national security in a globalized world.
Pressure Raised European Defense Spending
- Slotkin concedes pressure from the U.S. did prompt Europe to spend more on defense, though she objects to the method.
- She calls using aggression to extract contributions the wrong lesson to teach allies.