The German government has postponed a planned phone call between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump on the occasion of the upcoming commemoration of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, with a new date not yet set, DPA reported, citing a government spokesman, BTA reports.
He did not specify the reason for the postponement. Yesterday, Trump attributed the victory to the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in the local elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt over German immigration rules and regulations, which the US president described as terrible.
US President Donald Trump congratulated the German party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) on its election victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt earlier today, saying the far-right party is "going from strength to strength", DPA reported.
"Wow! The populist party in Germany just had a really big night," Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social, referring to Sunday's regional elections. Trump did not specifically mention AfD, but the reference was clear.
The AfD and its supporters are tired of Germany's "absolutely terrible immigration rules", Trump said. "THEY ARE ON THE RISE AND 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 AwG winning the election.
Since Trump took office in January last year, the AwG is believed to have maintained 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 AwG representatives traveled to Washington for his inauguration.
US Vice President J.D. Vance met 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.