Germany’s Friedrich Merz warns U.S. is changing under Trump

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s leading candidate for chancellor, has expressed deep concern over recent developments in the United States under President Donald Trump’s second term, warning that the country is “no longer the America we used to know.”

Speaking at a rally in Singen on Wednesday night, Merz pointed to sweeping changes in the U.S. government, including mass firings and pardons of individuals convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack.

Concerns over U.S. policy shifts

“The way officials, the Department of Justice, the public prosecutors’ offices, the way they’re all being thrown out, the way they’re pardoning people who have been sentenced to years in prison, that will have consequences for America,” Merz said.

His remarks come amid drastic restructuring within the federal government. Since returning to office, Trump has dismissed multiple prosecutors, forced federal resignations, and frozen foreign aid. The administration has also placed most staff members at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave.

Trump’s foreign policy ambitions—including reported interest in controlling the Gaza Strip, Greenland, and the Panama Canal—have further fueled international concerns.

Tensions in German politics

Merz’s comments come just weeks before Germany’s snap election on February 23, where he is facing pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Elon Musk, now a prominent Trump administration figure, has openly supported the AfD, urging Germans to back the party. At a recent AfD rally, Musk suggested that Germany should “move on” from its “past guilt,” a statement that sparked backlash.

In December, Merz criticized Musk’s involvement in German politics, calling his remarks “invasive and presumptuous.”

As tensions rise both in the U.S. and Europe, Merz’s warning underscores growing unease over the direction of American politics and its global impact.