Trump congratulates AfD on election victory
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The gist
Trump congratulated Germany's far-right AfD on its Saxony-Anhalt election win, posting "Make Germany Great Again."
The endorsement lands as AfD nears Germany's first far-right state government since WWII.
Background
AfD won 43.8% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sept. 6, 2026, more than doubling its 2021 result and taking 39 of 83 state parliament seats — three short of an outright majority. The result raises the prospect of Germany's first far-right state government since World War II and was cheered by far-right parties across Europe. Trump's congratulatory post on Truth Social marked his clearest endorsement yet of a party accused of antisemitism and Holocaust distortion.
How it unfolded
- Sep 6, 2026AfD declares victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, winning 43.8% of the vote — more than twice its 2021 result — and 39 of 83 state parliament seats.
- Sep 6, 2026Trump posts a screenshot of the projected election results on Truth Social; Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev shares the post, calling the result a "historic win."
- Sep 7, 2026World reactions pour in: French minister calls the result a grave moment; far-right leaders in Spain and Portugal congratulate AfD; former US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell calls it "a huge win and a new day for Germany."
- Sep 9, 2026Trump congratulates AfD on its landslide win, declaring "MGGA" — "Make Germany Great Again."
Who’s saying what
- Support
- Trump hailed the AfD's win with "Make Germany Great Again"; former US Ambassador Richard Grenell called it "a huge win and a new day for Germany," saying "people are ready for change."
- Caution
- A French minister called the AfD's victory a grave moment, warning of growing nationalism and its impact on European unity.
- Analysts
- The AfD fell three seats short of an outright majority, leaving it unclear whether it will govern Saxony-Anhalt, though the outcome is already described as a political earthquake.
Still unverified
Haaretz describes Trump's post as his clearest endorsement yet of a party accused of antisemitism and Holocaust distortion; POLITICO reports AfD leaders have sought to distance themselves from the Trump administration over concerns his unpopularity in Germany could be an electoral liability.