With German Chancellor Friedrich Merz headed to Washington, Donald Trump appears to be rolling out the red carpet for the German leader. In fact, the tone of the Trump White House has notably shifted recently, with Trump apparently warming to the German leader.
One key reason is that Germany is signaling a new era of defense spending, a move that Trump has long called for from America’s NATO allies. Merz is not talking about a token billion euros here or there, but tens of billions.
In turn, the German chancellor is being honored in Washington with a stay at the Blair House, which Welt newspaper describes as a “highly symbolic gesture.”
“This historic residence, situated directly across from the White House, typically accommodates US presidents on the eve of their inauguration and has hosted esteemed foreign dignitaries like Charles de Gaulle, Winston Churchill, Angela Merkel, and even Vladimir Putin in 2001. Notably, Olaf Scholz, Merz’s predecessor, was lodged in a Pennsylvania Avenue hotel during his tenure,” writes Welt.
Trump may prefer the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in power, but Merz is certainly preferable for Trump to other German left-wing politicians. Merz, for his part, has at least talked tough on immigration. He is also a defense hawk who is promising to rearm Germany. Trump and he could find much common ground ahead.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been openly critical of Europeans for their lack of defense spending, but his tone has also changed on Germany.
Just days ago, he said at a Singapore conference that “it’s a bit hard to believe I’m saying this but Asian allies should look to countries in Europe as a newfound example. NATO members are pledging to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense, even Germany.”
Elbridge Colby, a prominent China hawk and a key figure in the U.S. regarding security policy during Trump’s first presidency, talked of “encouraging signals” from Berlin after meeting with Jasper Wieck, the director of the German Defense Ministry.
Colby stated that the German government would increase defense spending and that Germany would assume the role of leading conventional defense power.
“We at the Pentagon will work hard on this essential task of restoring NATO to a strong, secure, and balanced alliance,” said Colby.
The Trump administration now views China as the main geopolitical threat facing the United States. Tied to this is the belief that other NATO allies must step up their own defenses, as the U.S. cannot be expected to fight a war in defense of Taiwan and handle a European land war at the same time.
However, sharp differences still exist between Trump and Merz, namely on the issue of tariffs. Merz has called for European unity in the face of a trade war with the United States. Germany’s industrial sector faces serious headwinds if Trump moves forward with further tariffs against Europe, and Merz will likely have this issue at the top of his list when meeting with Trump this Thursday.
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