--- title: Barack Obama in Berlin: 'We Can't Hide Behind a Wall' description: In his first post-presidency speech in Europe, before a crowd of thousands, Obama appeared to reference Trump's border wall canonical: https://time.com/4794605/barack-obama-berlin-wall-angela-merkel-donald-trump/ author: Abigail Abrams article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-25T18:16:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T10:59:40.984Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Obama Tells Crowd in Berlin: 'We Can't Hide Behind a Wall' og:description: He spoke before a crowd of about 70,000 people og:url: https://time.com/4794605/barack-obama-berlin-wall-angela-merkel-donald-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ada68b66acb4cc7/6988cef2196cf40d890404b0/barack-obama-angela-merkel-germany-berlin-wall.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2302 og:image:height: 1295 og:image:alt: Obama And Merkel Discuss Democracy At Church Congress og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Obama Tells Crowd in Berlin: 'We Can't Hide Behind a Wall' twitter:description: He spoke before a crowd of about 70,000 people twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ada68b66acb4cc7/6988cef2196cf40d890404b0/barack-obama-angela-merkel-germany-berlin-wall.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Tells Crowd of Thousands in Berlin: 'We Can't Hide Behind a Wall' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ab9e90c2-a9b3-4b1d-9766-4aae583e39bf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ab9e90c2-a9b3-4b1d-9766-4aae583e39bf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=ab9e90c2-a9b3-4b1d-9766-4aae583e39bf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams May 25, 2017 6:16 PM UTC  German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former President of the United States of America Barack Obama arrive for a discussion on democracy at Church Congress on May 25, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former President of the United States of America Barack Obama arrive for a discussion on democracy at Church Congress on May 25, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Steffi Loos—Getty Images by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams May 25, 2017 6:16 PM UTC Former president Barack Obama told a crowd in Berlin on Thursday that wealthy nations cannot “hide behind a wall” when it comes to dealing with disruptions around the world, and encouraged the audience to engage in democracy. The comments came at a discussion on globalization and democracy with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to [the](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/25/barack-obama-draws-crowd-of-tens-of-thousands-in-berlin)[ _Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/25/barack-obama-draws-crowd-of-tens-of-thousands-in-berlin), marking Obama’s first speech in Europe since leaving office. Standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate, which was once cut off by the Berlin Wall, Obama told the audience of 70,000 people to “push back against those trends that would violate human rights or suppress democracy or restrict individual freedoms” and to “fight against those who divide us.” He said he was “heartbroken” by the [bombing in Manchester](http://time.com/4793896/manchester-terrorist-attack/?xid=homepage&pcd=hp-magmod) on Monday, which killed 22 people at an [Ariana Grande concert](http://time.com/4790753/manchester-attack-ariana-grande-girlhood/?xid=homepage), and went on to defend Merkel’s open door refugee policy, which has seen [significant criticism](http://time.com/4608314/berlin-terror-attack-angela-merkel/?iid=sr-link2) from many in Germany. Obama said he recognized the balance Merkel has to strike between helping those in need and protecting her own citizens, according to the _Guardian_. He emphasized that leaders need to explain to their citizens why globalization makes it impossible to isolate one nation from the problems of others. And as he faced the enthusiastic crowd, Obama appeared to take a shot at President Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. without ever explicitly mentioning his successor. “When we provide development aid to Africa or we are involved in conflict resolution in areas where war has been taking place, \[or\] we make investments to try to deal with climate change … these things we do not do just for charity, not just because it’s the right thing to do or out of kindness,” Obama said, according to _The Guardian_. “If there are disruptions in those countries and conflicts and bad governance, war and poverty, in this new world that we live in, we can’t isolate ourselves, we can’t hide behind a wall.” Obama’s friendly reception in Berlin came in contrast to some of Trump’s recent appearances — including one with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, when the two men locked hands so tightly [their knuckles turned white](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/trump-handshake-showdown-frances-macron-just-wont-let-go/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4794605/barack-obama-berlin-wall-angela-merkel-donald-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4794605/barack-obama-berlin-wall-angela-merkel-donald-trump/"},"headline":"President Obama Tells Crowd of Thousands in Berlin: 'We Can't Hide Behind a Wall'","datePublished":"2017-05-25T18:16:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T10:59:40.984Z","description":"In his first post-presidency speech in Europe, Obama appeared to reference Trump's border wall","url":"https://time.com/4794605/barack-obama-berlin-wall-angela-merkel-donald-trump/","keywords":["Barack Obama","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ada68b66acb4cc7/6988cef2196cf40d890404b0/barack-obama-angela-merkel-germany-berlin-wall.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Abigail Abrams","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ada68b66acb4cc7/6988cef2196cf40d890404b0/barack-obama-angela-merkel-germany-berlin-wall.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Obama And Merkel Discuss Democracy At Church Congress","caption":"German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former President of the United States of America Barack Obama arrive for a discussion on democracy at Church Congress on May 25, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.","creditText":"Steffi Loos—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4794605/barack-obama-berlin-wall-angela-merkel-donald-trump/","name":"President Obama Tells Crowd of Thousands in Berlin: 'We Can't Hide Behind a Wall'"}}]}] ```