Trump congratulates AfD on Saxony-Anhalt win

US President Donald Trump congratulated the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on its victory in the September 6 state election in Saxony-Anhalt, linking the success to dissatisfaction with Germany's immigration policies. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, September 9, Trump wrote that the party is "on the rise" and tired of "absolutely terrible immigration rules." Trump did not name the AfD directly but concluded his message with "MGGA!!!", presumably meaning "Make Germany Great Again," a reference to his own slogan. The post followed an earlier screenshot of preliminary election results showing the AfD leading. Dirk Wiese, a parliamentary manager for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), expressed "extreme bewilderment" at the congratulations and urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to respond firmly to Trump. The AfD has cultivated closer ties with Washington since Trump took office in January 2025, with co-leader Alice Weidel calling him a role model and party representatives attending his inauguration. Vice President JD Vance met Weidel at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, warning against excluding populist parties. Trump has repeatedly criticized Germany's asylum and migration policies during his second term.