Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany prepared extensively for meeting with US President Donald Trump preparations that included flipping through the pages of Playboy to gain insight into how Trump sees the world.
German officials told Reuters Merkel fastidiously studied past Trump interviews and speeches, including Playboy's lengthy 1990 Q&A, where Trump discussed many of the controversial ideas he is now trying to implement as president.
"That's how deeply she's delved in order to avoid exactly the sort of things going wrong that we have seen going wrong with a couple of leaders that have already come to Washington to see Donald Trump," global policy expert Joerg Forbrig told CNBC on Friday.
The meeting marks Trump and Merkel's first face-to-face encounter. White House officials have said the sit-down will be Trump's most important meeting with a foreign leader yet.
The two have not shared an amicable relationship in the past. Trump has previously insulted Merkel in public comments. In 2015, when Merkel was selected over Trump as TIME magazine's Person of the Year, he jumped on Twitter to take a shot at the chancellor. "They picked person who is ruining Germany," he tweeted angrily.