Trump Slams Merz: Spend More Time ‘Fixing Your Broken Country’ Amid German Economic Crisis
WASHINGTON/BERLIN — President Donald Trump launched a scathing personal attack on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, telling the German leader he should focus on fixing his “broken country” instead of commenting on U.S. strategy regarding the Iran war.
The comments are the latest in an escalating war of words between the two leaders following Merz’s public criticism of the U.S. approach to the conflict.
“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, rather than commenting on how the United States is handling the Iran War. He has no idea what he is talking about!”
— President Donald J. Trump, via Truth Social
🔥 The Background: A Bitter War of Words
The spat between Trump and Merz has been brewing for several weeks. The tensions boiled over this week after Merz made a series of pointed remarks.
- Merz’s Critique: Merz told students that Iran was “clearly stronger than one thought,” that the U.S. lacked a “convincing negotiating strategy,” and that Iran was “humiliating” the United States by stalling in peace talks .
- Specific Fears: Merz also stated that he had “doubts from the very beginning” about the Iranian war, noting that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is directly harming the German economy .
Trump responded earlier this week by falsely accusing Merz of “thinking it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and saying “No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”
📉 Has Merz Fixed Germany’s Problems?
Trump’s attack on Merz’s domestic record points to a genuine weakness for the Chancellor, who has been in office since early 2025.
- The Economy: Germany narrowly avoided a recession at the end of 2025 but remains stagnant. The Ifo Business Climate index has slumped as manufacturers face high energy prices and supply chain disruptions due to the Iran war.
- Energy Crisis: The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has dramatically increased energy prices. While Germany has filled its gas storage and secured LNG terminals, industrial energy costs remain significantly higher than pre-war levels.
- Immigration: The number of asylum seekers arriving in Germany has surged again in 2026, straining local budgets and fueling the rise of the far-right AfD party (currently polling at ~24%).
Under Merz, Germany has raised defense spending and sent Taurus missiles to Ukraine, but his coalition is fracturing over how to handle the dual shocks of high migration and a war-induced energy crisis.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who has not hesitated to criticize Trump in the past, dismissed the president’s comments as “not helpful” and reaffirmed Germany’s solidarity with the United States.
🎯 How Germans View Trump
Trump’s attack on Merz is also a bet that his base of “America First” voters will applaud him for “standing up” to European elites.
- Polls in Germany: According to a YouGov poll, 83% of Germans have an unfavorable view of Donald Trump. Public criticism of Merz by the U.S. president often triggers a rally-around-the-flag effect for the Chancellor.
Merz was already trailing the opposition “Together” alliance (Bennett-Lapid) in the polls, largely due to economic discontent. Trump’s repeated personal insults may resonate with the AfD base, but they are unlikely to win Merz any converts among centrist or liberal German voters.
The timing of the clash is critical. German voters in the key states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony head to the polls for local elections on May 10. Trump’s attack on Merz could animate the populist right and hurt the Chancellor’s CDU party.
Merz’s office declined to comment on Trump’s latest Truth Social post. However, the Chancellor previously stated that he does not intend to “get into a personal fight” with the U.S. president, adding, “I focus on the fate of Europe.”
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