The US Government responded to the decision of the German Constitution Protection Office on the designation of AfD as an extremist organisation Only a fewer hours after it was made public. "Tyrannia in disguise" – that's what the German Interior Service Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the step. He thus became the 3rd — after Vice president J.D. Vance and leading advisor to Donald Trump Elonie Musku — a high-ranking typical of the American administration, who expressed fundamental criticism of Germany.
For the fresh national government, which will take office on Tuesday 6 May, this represents a serious problem. The United States has become not only an unpredictable and thus a hard partner, but besides an obsession with Germany in Trump's camp, and has now reached Rubio, who has been considered a traditionalist on abroad policy so far.
When in February U.S. Vice president J.D. Vance sacrificed his speech in Munich acute criticism of European democracyIt caused a immense stir. It was clear to everyone that Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval Office, who complains about the uneven burden distribution in transatlantic relations and will request changes in this area. However, the fact that the fresh authorities in Washington are questioning the values that have been at the heart of relations for decades has been a shock.
— If you are afraid of your constituents, there is nothing America can do for you — he left Vance present in Munich. In this way, he referred to the issue of "fire retardant" against right-wing populist parties before the elections to the Bundestag.
Obsession on Germany
The following weeks showed that it was not an isolated case, but that the Trump camp was becoming obsessed with Germany. too Vance, Trump's leading advisor, Elon Musk, besides became active in German home politics. Prior to the Bundestag election, he aggressively agitated for voting for the AfD, claiming that "Only she can save Germany‘.
Vance condemned 2 alleged irregularities in the country. The first is proceedings against AfD, which he criticised again on Friday. "AfD is the most popular organization in Germany," he commented on X. "Now bureaucrats are trying to destruct it," he said. The second issue, according to Vance, is the regulation of freedom of speech. He has repeatedly criticized the pursuit of hatred crimes on the Internet.
In Vance's opinion, both will have consequences for German-American relations. — Do you think that the American payer will accept that individual in Germany is going to prison only for publishing a malicious tweet? — he quit in late February at the CPAC conference. besides ratio to AfD moving Berlin distant from Washington in Vance’s eyes.
Rubio pours fuel into the fire
"The West broke down the Berlin Wall together, and now it is raised again," Rubio wrote on Friday in his post on X. "Not by the Soviets, not by the Russians, but by the German elite," he added. In another words, Germany was behind a fresh iron curtain that separates the free planet from the enslaved world.
While planet wars are raging, the U.S. government has promised a solution — either in the mediate East or in Ukraine — Trump camp deals with German home policy. specified precedence setting is remarkable.
Friedrich Merz, who will be elected Chancellor on Tuesday 6 May, and appointed abroad Minister by him Johann Wadephul so stand before the diplomatic minefieldWhich is most likely not going to vanish anytime soon. Merz is on defender of the “fireventure” and will not want to interfere in the justice system. At the same time, it must not let Washington to usage this as an excuse to break or limit safety partnerships with Germany.
In addition, the fact is that not only Vance and Musk, representatives of the MEGA camp, are attacking Germany. The last volley came from the Secretary of State Marco Rubio. His message came only a day after he became the most powerful figure in American abroad policy, immediately after the President. On Thursday, May 1, Trump made changes to his office and moved safety advisor Mike Waltz to be Ambassador to the UN in connection with the Signal affair. His position will now be taken by Rubio.
MICHAEL KAPPLER / PAPThe president of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz signs a coalition agreement between the CDU, the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic organization of Germany (SPD), Berlin, 5 May 2025.
Although this is simply a transitional solution, Rubio will become a central figure in American abroad policy. He will oversee not only the activities of the State Department, but besides the decision-making process in the White home National safety Council.
United Front Against Berlin
Rubio thus achieved a promotion that was not obvious. His appointment as Secretary of State from the beginning was a salt in the eye of many Isolationist MAGA supporters. Their fears were confirmed erstwhile they were firmly He opposed Elon Musk's budget cuts plans and removed the MEGA authoritative from the position of head of the liquidated USAID improvement Assistance Agency.
However, Rubio did not fall into the disfavor of Trump and Vance — On the contrary. He skillfully directed his performances on television, portraying himself as Trump's iron politician. He even abandoned his own rules to do so. Although previously known as a hawk towards Russia, he refrained from criticizing the president erstwhile he humiliated his Ukrainian guest Volodymyr Zelenski in the Oval Office and as he unilaterally increased the force on Kiev. Instead, he stood up for Trump.
Rubio besides defends Trump's tightened migration policy. Even as a senator, he advocated protecting refugees from the Maduro regime. He doesn't want to hear about it right now.
This gave him a place in Trump's immediate vicinity. — If I have a problem, I'm calling Marco.. He will solve it — commended it on Thursday Trump.
In this context, his attack on Germany is becoming even more important. Unlike Vance Rubio, he has barely spoken about Germany. While he criticised Berlin's erstwhile energy dependence on Russia during the legislature hearing, he praised the fast construction of LNG terminals. It was a “German miracle of engineering,” he said.
Now, however, he follows Vance and Musk's footsteps, forming in the White home a united front against Berlin. Merz and Wadephul's first trips to the US will so take place under highly hard circumstances.
