President Donald Trump escalated his public feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, telling the German leader to focus on domestic problems rather than second-guessing Washington's approach to the Iran war. In a blistering post on Truth Social, Trump accused Merz of being ineffective on Ukraine and urged him to address Germany's immigration and energy challenges.
"The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!" Trump wrote.
The exchange began Monday when Merz, speaking to students in Germany, said the United States was being "humiliated" by Iran and that "Americans clearly have no strategic plan" in the conflict. His comments came after Trump pulled a U.S. negotiating team from proposed talks in Islamabad last week.
"Especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully — or rather, very skillfully not negotiating," Merz told the students, according to The Associated Press. "And then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad, only to send them back without any results. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards."
Trump fired back Tuesday, claiming Merz "thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon" and that "He doesn't know what he's talking about!" The president added: "If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago."
Despite the heated rhetoric, Merz insisted Wednesday that his relationship with Trump "remains good." Speaking to reporters, Merz said he simply had doubts from the start about the Iran war and made them clear. He also highlighted the economic pain caused by the conflict, particularly the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which once carried roughly one-fifth of global oil supply.
The blockade has sent oil prices soaring, hitting European economies harder than the United States. "This has a direct impact on our energy supply and a huge impact on our economic performance," Merz said. Germany has offered to deploy minesweepers to help reopen the strait, but only after hostilities cease.
Trump has also criticized other European allies, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for not doing enough to support the war effort. He has pressed NATO for greater contributions. Meanwhile, the political pressure is mounting at home: rising gas prices tied to the Iran conflict have become a liability for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, where they are fighting to keep control of the House and Senate. March inflation hit 3.5% as the Iran conflict drove up prices, intensifying the political heat on Trump.
The president has refused to resume in-person talks with Iran, saying the blockade is "genius" and that Tehran just needs to "cry uncle." "Now, they have to cry uncle, that's all they have to do. Just say, 'We give up,'" Trump said, adding that Iran's economy is "dead."
Democrats have seized on the economic fallout, pushing for a sixth war powers vote to curb Trump's authority in Iran. Democrats push sixth war powers vote to curb Trump's Iran actions as the conflict drags on, with no end in sight.
