General Discussion

President Donald Trump nearly said his father was born in Germany, a gaffe he has made in the past.

Trump met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on March 3 in the Oval Office. They were speaking about the United Kingdom's response to the war in Iran, which Trump criticized before talking about his heritage.

"I love that country. I love it. My mother was born there," he said, referencing Scotland, which is part of the UK. "My father was born..." Trump said, gesturing to Merz, before trailing off with saying, "he knows all about my father. My father was born there."

Trump has referred to his father as German in the past, though Fred Trump was born in New York.

"My father was born in Germany," Trump said at a July 2025 bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He went on to clarify, "Or is...his parents were just out."