Juncker: I fought Trump for 4 years

Former European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says he constantly fought former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose words, he added, were often hot air.

“I practiced hand-to-hand combat with Trump for four years. It’s not easy. Because the Americans know that we are weak on the defense side, they are taking some precautions when dealing with Europe,” Juncker said during an interview with German outlet Augsburger Allgemeine published Thursday.

“I believe that the Commission is dealing intensively with the issue, although my experience has been that not everything that Trump announces is carried out,” he added, after being asked about the possibility of Trump’s reelection in 2024 and the potential impact.

Trump, who is currently on trial over accusations of extensive business fraud, already gave Brussels a fright with threats to impose across-the-board import tariffs of 10 percent if he is reelected next year.

Juncker, who was Commission president from 2014 to 2019, was at odds with Trump over trade policies such as the U.S.’s hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminum during his presidency.

Trump has found plenty of words to describe his frenemy Juncker over the years.

At times, Trump said Juncker was “nasty,” “a brutal killer” and a “tough, tough cookie.” Other times, Trump pledged affection for the former Berlaymont boss, calling him “a very good man” and complimented him on being a “great businessman.”

With the U.S. election edging closer, the possibility of Trump’s return — as he toys with ideas such as pulling out of NATO or signing a “peace deal” with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine — increasingly is worrying Europe.