Trump Praises Far-Right AfD Electoral Victory in Germany Following Historic State Gains
US President Donald Trump praised the far-right AfD party's historic victory in Germany after it secured 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, dealing a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
US President Donald Trump publicly praised the electoral victory of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany, marking a notable intervention in European domestic politics.
Trump Applauds AfD Electoral Gains
US President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to celebrate the major success achieved by the populist AfD party in Germany. Emphasizing the party's strong opposition to immigration laws, Trump wrote:
«Wow! The populist party in Germany just had a very big night. They are finally fed up with the completely terrible immigration laws and regulations that have hurt Germany so badly. They are on the rise, and not willing to take it anymore!»
This statement represents another instance of Trump weighing in directly on the internal political landscape of Germany, a practice that has become routine for the American leader despite being unusual by traditional diplomatic standards.
Historic Results in Saxony-Anhalt
In the state elections held earlier in the week, the AfD secured 44% of the vote in the eastern federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. The party effectively doubled its previous strength, emerging as the largest political force in the region by a massive margin and falling just three seats short of an absolute majority in the state parliament. This milestone marks the most significant achievement for a far-right party in Germany since the end of World War II.
The election outcome also delivered a severe political blow to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who leads a centrist party and maintains a firm stance against cooperating with the AfD. The established policy among Germany's mainstream political parties has been to completely boycott the far-right party and bar it from entering any governing coalitions, a cordon sanitaire that now faces intense pressure.
Background and International Reactions
The AfD has steadily expanded its political influence in recent years by campaigning heavily on anti-immigration platforms and advocating for reduced cooperation with the European Union. Parts of the AfD are officially classified by Germany's domestic intelligence services as right-wing extremist threats to the constitutional order. Furthermore, the party has previously drawn sharp condemnation for dismissing Holocaust remembrance, prompting grave concerns from numerous Jewish organizations in Germany regarding its surging popularity.
Trump's endorsement is not the first sign of outreach from the current US administration to the German right-wing. In 2025, US Vice President JD Vance met with Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the AfD, which drew strong criticism from members of the German government who viewed the meeting as unacceptable interference in domestic electoral affairs.
