Trump Congratulates German Far-Right Party on Election Victory

<figure><img alt="Donald Trump" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/HTBVOS2C2BBENO4II5PVZ73U7A.jpg?auth=334b7d98415e261ff1cacc348a196c3c73c1b2e9374eb88b191695f57d34da32&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2434&amp;height=1369" /><figcaption>NICK OXFORD / AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>President Donald Trump congratulated the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party after it declared victory in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt. Preliminary results indicated that the party won nearly 44 percent of the vote on September 6, 2026.</p><p>Trump posted on Truth Social, stating, "Wow! The Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night. They finally got rid of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly." He added, "THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore! MGGA!!!"</p><p>His comments received mixed reactions online, with some observers noting the significance of Trump supporting a party that could lead Germany's first far-right state government since World War II.</p><p>Two days prior, Trump shared a screenshot of German television projections showing AfD leading in the regional election.</p><p>Despite the victory, the AfD did not secure an absolute majority in the state parliament, which is necessary to form a government. Ulrich Siegmund, the party's lead candidate, stated that they "made history in this country" with their win.</p><p>National polls indicate that the AfD, established in 2013, is currently the most popular party in Germany, polling 8 percentage points ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative party.</p><p>The AfD's agenda includes deporting immigrants, restoring ties with Russia, and ending support for Ukraine, as well as revising the country's Nazi-era history in educational curricula. The party also advocates for abandoning the euro and withdrawing from the European Union, although these issues are beyond the jurisdiction of a state government.</p><p>Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, has declined to cooperate with the AfD, adhering to a strategy known as the "firewall." He acknowledged that the AfD's recent win has shaken his party "to its very foundations."</p><p>Alice Weidel, co-chair of the AfD, expressed hopes for the party to achieve at least 40 percent in the upcoming 2029 national election.</p><p>According to Reuters, AfD voters tend to be predominantly male and are generally less educated and economically secure. Germany's domestic intelligence service classified the party as right-wing extremist in May 2025, citing its philosophies as incompatible with the democratic order.</p>