Watch Replay: President Trump, Angela Merkel Hold Press Conference

President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered a joint news conference Friday afternoon, discussing joint business interests, NATO and "wiretapping" allegations.

The president previously criticized the chancellor during the 2016 campaign, particularly for her refugee policies. Germany was particularly welcoming to those fleeing the civil war in Syria, a choice for which the government received high praise and harsh condemnation from different parties.(For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

In his opening statement, Trump thanked Merkel for coming and meeting with business leaders to discuss the potential for economic prosperity and a thriving workforce. He also praised her for pledging to commit more resources to funding NATO, an issue Trump has long emphasized.

Merkel similarly praised the meeting they had and reiterated her plans to further fund NATO and global security efforts. She said that they were trying to "bring people together" and find compromises.

Asked about the GOP health care plan, Trump said he was confident the bill would pass. He also reiterated his belief that Obamacare was failing and that the new plan would be "fantastic."

A German reporter asked whether "America First" as a policy would hurt Europe. Trump said he is not an isolationist but that he wants trade to be "fair," if not necessarily free.

"I am not an isolationist by any stretch of the imagination," he said.

The reporter also asked about why he dismisses so much of media opinion and perspective. He responded by saying that her claims that he was an "isolationist" was "fake news."

Asked by a German reporter about whether or not Trump regretted any of his tweets, Trump said, "Very seldom."

He also dismissed criticism of his accusations that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. He looked at Merkel when the topic came up and said, "At least we have something in common, perhaps."

This comment referred to reports that the NSA long had surveillance of the Merkel's communications.

Asked about White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's recent reference to Andrew Napolitano's claims on Fox News that British intelligence may have been involved in Obama's alleged "wiretapping," Trump said that the White House was just pointing to someone else's claims and that any further questions should be asked of Fox News.

Shortly after the conference, Shep Smith on Fox News denounced the claims.

"Fox News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano's commentary," Smith said. "Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind that the president of the United States was surveilled at any time in any way."

Many observers pointed to an awkward moment when the leaders sat together in the Oval Office. Merkel asked Trump if he wanted to do a handshake, and he appeared to either not hear her, or he ignored her entirely:

Watch a replay of the news conference here. The conference's start was delayed. The pair arrived at the podiums about 50 minutes late, around 2:10 p.m.

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Photo by Jörg Schüler - Pool/Getty Images News/Getty Images