After Donald Trump's election, his future German counterpart, Chancellor Angela Merkel, offered him her “close cooperation,” at least if Trump respected common values such as “democracy, freedom, as well as respect for the rule of law and the dignity of each and every person, regardless of their origin, skin color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or political views," The Washington Post reported.

It appeared to be pure coincidence that less than two weeks later, the German chancellor also announced she would run for a fourth term, after thinking about it “for an eternity.”

In interviews at the time, her reasoning behind another run mainly appeared to be associated with the rise of populism in Germany.

While Merkel was referring to populists in Germany, the underlying message may very well also have been directed against Trump, according to “The World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House” memoir being published next week.