Trump calls to Make Germany Great Again. In Germany, nostalgia carries a dark past.
President Trump used a call to restore German greatness Tuesday to celebrate a far-right party that others have denounced as antisemitic. Why it matters: Trump promoting the AfD, or Alternative for Germany, comes as the nation's political mainstream has spent years keeping the party — which intelligence authorities has classified as extremist — out of power. The AfD won a record 44% in…
President Trump expressed support for a far-right German political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), and encouraged its rise to power in a recent social media post. The AfD, classified as extremist by intelligence authorities, recently secured a record-breaking 44% of votes in Saxony-Anhalt's elections, bringing Germany closer to having its first far-right state government since World War II.
Trump's endorsement of the AfD has sparked controversy as nostalgia for Germany's past carries dark connotations due to Nazi propaganda. The party's success highlights the resilience of far-right movements despite Germany's strong safeguards against extremism. Critics argue that the AfD's rhetoric trivializes the nation's history, with Jewish leaders expressing concern over proposed education policy changes and anti-Muslim comments made by party leaders.
The backlash has led Chancellor Friedrich Merz to postpone a scheduled call with Trump, accusing the president of interfering in German politics. AfD leaders, such as Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland, have further fueled controversy by challenging Germany's post-war culture of Holocaust remembrance and comparing the Nazi era to a "speck of bird poop."
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