While hosting a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Donald Trump made a detour into his family history, expressing deep affinity for Germany and citing a personal connection that does not align with his father's documented biography. 'I have great respect for Germany. My father was born in Germany,' Trump stated during the televised meeting. The claim stands in direct contrast to public records confirming his father, Fred Trump, was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1905.
The assertion is not an isolated slip. Trump has made the same claim on at least three prior occasions: in a 2018 interview, again in 2019, and during a bilateral meeting in July 2025. 'My father was born there,' he said during the latest meeting with Merz, before appearing to self-correct: 'Or is... his parents were just out.'
