Trump lashes out at Merz, calling on him to fix a ‘broken’ Germany
President Trump lashed out Thursday at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz by telling him he should be “fixing his broken Country” rather than weighing in on the Iran war, intensifying the war of words between the U.S. president and a longtime ally.
“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump was angered by remarks Merz made to students in Germany on Monday. Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran and that “Americans clearly have no strategic plan” in the war with Iran, according to the translated speech.
Merz’s remarks referenced Trump’s decision to pull back a U.S. negotiating team last week from proposed talks in Islamabad.
“Especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully — or rather, very skillfully not negotiating,” Merz told the students, according to The Associated Press. “And then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad, only to send them back without any results. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards.”
Trump in a Tuesday Truth Social post said that Merz “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” he wrote. “If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago.”
“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” he added.
Merz for his part said Wednesday that his relationship with Trump “remains good” after the lashing out.
“From my perspective, my personal relationship with the U.S. president remains good,” Merz told reporters, according to Reuters. “I simply had doubts from the start about what was begun with the war in Iran. That is why I have made that clear.”
But he also brought up the economic toll that the Iran war is having on the world amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The critical passageway once saw roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flow through it, but since the closure little oil has come out of the area, leading prices to skyrocket.
This has hit European countries hard, as that region depends more on the oil flowing through the region than the U.S.
“This has a direct impact on our energy supply and a huge impact on our economic performance,” Merz said, according to Reuters.
Trump has taken to criticizing European leaders who have been hesitant to help with the war, including Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He’s also criticized NATO, arguing for more support.
Merz said Monday that Germany is willing to deploy minesweepers to aid the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but only when the fighting stops.
The president has said Iran is still talking with the U.S., but he will not be sending his U.S. delegation to Pakistan for in-person talks anymore.
He said Wednesday that the blockade is “genius” and all Iran needs to do now is “cry uncle.”
“Now, they have to cry uncle, that’s all they have to do. Just say, ‘We give up,’” he said, adding that Iran’s economy is “dead.”
The political pressure on Trump in the U.S. is also growing because of higher gas prices caused by the war. This has led to increased political danger for Republicans, who are hoping to hold on to the House and Senate majorities in this fall’s midterm elections.
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