Trump hails AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt
The White House has cultivated extensive ties with the German far-right party.
U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Tuesday after the far-right party secured a significant win in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, garnering nearly 44% of the vote on Sunday. Trump expressed his admiration for the AfD's electoral success on Truth Social, stating that the party had achieved a "really big night" due to widespread dissatisfaction with Germany's immigration policies. The president concluded his message with a Germanized version of his "Make America Great Again" slogan, "MGGA!!!"
The U.S. president's endorsement of the AfD is noteworthy, as such comments from a sitting American leader are uncommon. Notably, the Trump administration has maintained a close relationship with the AfD, fostering strong connections with the party's leadership. In February 2025, Vice President JD Vance met with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel at the Munich Security Conference, criticizing Germany's "firewall" against the party.
Furthermore, AfD representatives visited the White House in the same year, and senior Trump allies and administration figures have consistently supported the right-wing group.
Despite these close ties, AfD leaders have attempted to distance themselves from the Trump administration due to concerns that the U.S. president's unpopularity in Germany could negatively impact the party's electoral prospects. In the recent state election held on September 6, the AfD achieved a historic victory, winning 43.8% of the vote, which translates to 39 out of the 83 seats in the state parliament.
This result leaves the AfD three seats away from securing a majority, potentially heralding the first far-right state government in Germany since World War II.
The AfD's platform encompasses a highly restrictive immigration policy, a nationalist and socially conservative agenda, and opposition to further military support for Ukraine, as well as calls for the removal of sanctions on Russia and closer ties with Moscow. Trump's positive remarks have already triggered backlash in Berlin. Dirk Wiese, the chief whip of the center-left Social Democratic Party within the Bundestag, which allies with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, denounced Trump's comments as "not acceptable." Wiese emphasized that he believes the federal government cannot tolerate such statements.
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