German Far-Right Politicians Find Common Ground with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
On US election day, a small group of far-right Germans, including a candidate for the German parliament, gathered with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The group, which included influencers and political activists, posed for photos with the president-elect and chanted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” in English and German.
Phillipp-Anders Rau, a self-proclaimed semi-professional porn actor, former cocaine user, and convicted thief, was one of the notable figures in the group. He posted photos on Instagram of his encounter with Trump, writing, “It will remain an everlasting memory, being allowed as the first and until now only member of the AfD to shake the hand of @realdonaldtrump on the day of his victory.”
Rau, a member of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, was joined by a group of young men, including Leonard Jäger, who posts anti-LGBTQ and conspiracy theory videos on YouTube, and Fabrice Ambrosini, a former regional leader of the centre-right CDU’s youth wing.
The meeting between the far-right Germans and Trump was facilitated by Jan Wenzel Schmidt, an AfD politician who had previously attended a reception of the New York Young Republican Club where Trump spoke. Schmidt and Ambrosini also attended the event, where Trump spoke, and later photographed themselves volunteering with Trump’s campaign in Florida.
The meeting has sparked concern among observers, who note that the AfD party has been classified as a suspected rightwing extremist group and that some of its members have been accused of anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric.
Despite the criticism, the AfD party remains undeterred, with its leader, Alice Weidel, welcoming Trump’s victory and stating that the party is cultivating proximity to the incoming administration. Several AfD officials have expressed hope that Trump will create a “conservative revolution” in the US, which they plan to emulate in Germany.
The AfD’s association with Trump’s administration has been met with opposition from some members of the CDU, Germany’s center-right party, who have expressed concerns about the AfD’s rhetoric and actions.
The meeting between the far-right Germans and Trump has raised questions about the degree to which European far-right politicians are able to influence the new administration’s policies and whether their views will have a lasting impact on international politics.
