US President Donald Trump congratulated the German party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) on its election victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt today, saying that the far-right party "is gaining strength", DPA reported, BTA reported.
"Wow! The populist party in Germany just had a really big night", Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social, referring to the regional elections on Sunday. Trump did not specifically mention AfD, but the reference was clear.
AfD and its supporters are tired of the "absolutely terrible immigration rules" in Germany, Trump said. "THEY ARE ON THE RISE AND THEY WILL NOT TAKE ANY MORE," he wrote.
Trump ended his post with the exclamation "MGGA!!!" which apparently stands for "Make Germany Great Again" - a play on his slogan "Make America Great Again", known as "MAGA".
On election night, Trump had already shared an image of the forecast for the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Truth Social. He did not comment on the chart that showed the AfG winning the election.
Since Trump took office in January last year, the AfG is seen as having closer ties to Washington than ever. Party co-chair Alice Weidel described Trump as a role model after his return to the White House, and AfG representatives traveled to Washington for his inauguration. position.
US Vice President J.D. Vance met with Weidel on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February last year. At the conference, Vance warned that excluding populist parties and building political "firewalls" risked ignoring the will of millions of voters. His statement caused controversy at the time and drew criticism from many German politicians.
During his second term, Trump has pursued a policy of mass deportations and a tough approach to migrants. The Republican president has repeatedly criticized German asylum and migration policies, DPA notes.