Overview
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz approached President Donald Trump during G7 working sessions on Tuesday and handed him a German national team football jersey as a belated birthday present.
- The shirt showed "TRUMP" on the back and the number 47, a clear reference to Trump’s status as the 47th President and to the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup that the U.S. is co‑hosting.
- Merz posted photos of the exchange on X with the caption "Happy belated 80th birthday, @POTUS. After all, we're on the same team," framing the moment as friendly outreach.
- Video of the exchange spread widely online and press pool footage showed Trump briefly pose with the jersey, fold it and place it on the table, prompting coverage that focused on his restrained or awkward reaction.
- The gift did not produce any reported policy changes and was widely read as a symbolic, relationship‑managing gesture by European leaders during talks on Ukraine and after Trump’s Iran announcement, reflecting a broader choice to use personal optics to steady ties.