German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday will enter President Trump’s televised Oval Office stage, where world leaders before him have been ambushed, scolded and sent home without lunch.
Much of what Trump said and showed was inaccurate or debunked, Axios’ Russell Contreras reported.
Driving the news: Merz, whose Christian Democratic Union bested the Elon Musk-endorsed far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, will come face-to-face with the president Thursday.
In a Wednesday statement posted to X, Merz described the U.S. as “an indispensable friend and partner of Germany,” per a translation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month condemned a since-suspended decision from German intelligence to classify AfD as a right-wing extremist organization.
Friedrich Merz, the chancellor of Germany, will take the stage at the Oval Office on Thursday. Previous world leaders have been ambushed, reprimanded, and sent home without lunch.
The big picture: Under Trump 2.0, world leaders are at the very least exposed to a series of on-camera spectacles, and at worst, a full-fledged attack, making the Oval Office a dangerous place.
The visit to Washington by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took a negative turn when Trump instructed an aide to turn off the lights before he showed a collection of videos supporting the unfounded claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa.
According to Russell Contreras of Axios, a large portion of what Trump said and demonstrated was false or refuted.
Making headlines: Merz, whose Christian Democratic Union defeated the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which Elon Musk backed, will meet with the president on Thursday.
Merz explained the U.S. in a statement posted to X on Wednesday. S. . The translation describes him as “an indispensable friend and partner of Germany.”.
However, in February, Merz changed his tone, declaring that he wanted to “really achieve independence” from the United States and that his “absolute priority” was to enhance Europe. S. .
in February. “My impression over the last few days is that Russia and America are finding common ground — over the heads of Ukraine, and consequently over those of Europe,” he noted in his 23 X post. “,”.
Vice President JD Vance made those remarks after his incredible speech at the Munich Security Conference, in which he criticized European allies for alleged censorship and criticized the risks of mass immigration.
Indeed, but: A few leaders have left the White House largely unharmed.
Mark Carney of Canada had some conflict when he told Trump that Canada “is not for sale,” but he chose to stay out of the public criticism that Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received.
Axios’ Dave Lawler reported that El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele leaned into the show, and U. K. A gift of an embossed letter from King Charles III was presented by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Merz may be able to connect with Trump thanks to his business experience and conservative immigration stance.
Zoom in: Axios was informed by a White House official that the administration’s perception of Democratic reversals, particularly in the area of free speech, would likely be a topic of discussion during the meeting.
The official stated that talks to end the conflict in Ukraine, trade, and defense spending are other likely topics of discussion.
What we’re watching: One tense undercurrent to the meeting may be the MAGA world’s sympathies for the anti-immigration AfD party.
Last month, German intelligence classified AfD as a right-wing extremist group, a decision that Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced and has since suspended.
Rubio is scheduled to attend Thursday’s meeting. He wrote, “What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes.”.
In addition, the head of Europe’s largest economy will have to deal with potential stress related to trade disputes, Ukraine, and NATO.
For more information, see German election: important climate player remains in the game.
