Donald Trump drew attention during a recent White House press appearance after making a remark about his family background while speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The comment, delivered during a discussion that touched on international relations, quickly led to questions about the accuracy of the president’s statement regarding his father’s birthplace.
Donald Trump makes bold claim about his father
Donald Trump made a claim about his father’s birthplace while speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a press briefing in the Oval Office on March 3. The meeting at the White House had been scheduled in advance and included questions about U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.
During the exchange with reporters, Trump criticized several European governments over their responses to the Middle East situation. He said of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “So we are very surprised. This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
He also referred to his family background while discussing the United Kingdom, stating, “They ruin relationships. It’s a shame. And I love that country. I love it. My mother was born there.” Mary Anne Macleod Trump, his mother, was born in Scotland and immigrated to the United States as a teenager.
Gesturing toward Merz, Trump added, “My father was born there. He knows all about my father. My father was born there. There are places that you sort of automatically very, very — feel warmly about.” However, Fred Trump was born in the Bronx, New York City.
In fact, Fred Trump was born in New York, while the president’s grandparents, Frederich Trump and Elizabeth Christ Trump, were born in Germany and later immigrated to the United States. Trump has previously made the same claim in earlier remarks to the media.
The president made a similar statement during a 2019 briefing with CBS News, saying, “My father is German, was German, born in a very wonderful place in Germany, so I have a very great feeling for Germany.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized the U.S. attack on Iran, stating: “We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world.”
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
