Politics USA trip: AfD plans Republican invitation to Berlin
The AfD wants to deepen its contacts with Donald Trump's US government and his Republican Party by inviting US representatives to Berlin. The deputy AfD parliamentary group leader and foreign policy spokesperson, Markus Frohnmaier, announced a congress in the German capital in February during his trip to the USA, to which representatives of the US State Department, members of Congress and US lobby organizations are to be invited. The Munich Security Conference will take place in Germany in the same month.
14.12.2025, 09:27
SDA
Frohnmaier, who is also his party's top candidate for the 2026 state elections in Baden-Württemberg, accepted an award in New York at a gala organized by the influential New York Young Republican Club. In his acceptance speech, he invoked an "alliance" of "patriots" in the USA and Germany.
Criticism of trip to the USA
Several AfD members of the Bundestag had once again traveled to the USA to deepen relations with Trump's party. This had provoked criticism from other German parties; the AfD was accused of propaganda against Germany and the travel costs were also criticized. According to Frohnmaier, he also met with representatives of the US government on Friday. He did not say which member or members were involved.
Trump's "Make America Great Again" (Maga) movement and the AfD are close in terms of migration and social policy and both see themselves as fighting against what they see as a left-wing sovereignty of opinion in Western democracies. This also became clear at the gala on Saturday evening (local time). The New York Young Republican Club is an important network for the Maga movement. Many young people are members.
Young Republican: "Germany first"
In the laudatory speech for Frohnmaier's award, a club representative, Dovid Holtzman, drew a parallel to the Trump slogan "America First". He shouted into the hall in German: "Germany first". He also addressed a message to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) with regard to the differentiation of other parties from the AfD: "Chancellor Merz: Tear down this Brandmauer." (Chancellor Merz: Tear down this firewall). The expression is borrowed from a historic speech by former US President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin, who called for the wall to be opened ("Tear down this wall").
Liaison meetings, speech attacks, church events
The gala evening on Wall Street in New York attracted mainly young members of the club. In addition to sharp speech attacks against the media and Democrats, there were also ecclesiastical moments, such as when a pastor took to the stage. Trump's policies were always praised. In his speech, the president of the club, Stefano Forte, campaigned for a third term in office for the now 79-year-old. Chants of "Four more years" followed in the hall.
