Germany's Merz enters Trump's Oval Office ring
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) speak to the media following talks on May 28 in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday will enter President Trump's televised Oval Office stage, where world leaders before him have been ambushed, scolded and sent home without lunch.
The big picture: Under Trump 2.0, the Oval Office has become a danger zone for world leaders, who at the very least are subject to a series of on-camera spectacles — and at the worst, a full-blown attack.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's Washington visit took a dark turn when Trump told an aide to dim the lights before presenting a compilation of clips to back the false allegations of a "white genocide" in South Africa.
- Much of what Trump said and showed was inaccurate or debunked, Axios' Russell Contreras reported.
Driving the news: Merz, whose Christian Democratic Union bested the Elon Musk-endorsed far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, will come face-to-face with the president Thursday.
- In a Wednesday statement posted to X, Merz described the U.S. as "an indispensable friend and partner of Germany," per a translation.
- But in February, Merz struck a different tone, saying strengthening Europe was his "absolute priority" in order to "really achieve independence" from the U.S.
- In a Feb. 23 X post, he wrote that his "impression over the last few days is that Russia and America are finding common ground — over the heads of Ukraine, and consequently over those of Europe."
- Those comments followed Vice President JD Vance's stunning Munich Security Conference speech in which he lambasted European allies over so-called censorship and decried the dangers of mass immigration.
Yes, but: Some leaders have walked away from the White House relatively unscathed.
- Canada's Mark Carney experienced some friction — telling Trump Canada is "is not for sale" — but avoiding the public flogging Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received.
- El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele leaned into the show, Axios' Dave Lawler reported, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer came ready with a gift — an embossed letter from King Charles III.
- Merz's conservative immigration approach and business background could help him find common ground with Trump.
Zoom in: A White House official told Axios one likely topic for the meeting with be what the administration perceives as Democratic backsliding, notably over free speech rights.
- Other likely discussion points include defense spending, trade and talks to end the war in Ukraine, the official said.
What we're watching: MAGA world's sympathies toward the anti-immigration AfD party could be one tense undercurrent to the meeting.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month condemned a since-suspended decision from German intelligence to classify AfD as a right-wing extremist organization.
- "What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment's deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes," Rubio, who is set to be present at Thursday's meeting, wrote.
- On top of that, the leader of Europe's biggest economy will have to navigate possible strain over NATO, Ukraine and ongoing trade disputes.
Go deeper: German election keeps key climate player in the game
