Overview
- The secretary of state said engagements with AfD figures are to understand Germany's political spectrum and do not signal U.S. election support.
- Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers met AfD foreign-policy lead Markus Frohnmaier in mid-December, after which he posted a photo and said Washington seeks a strong German partner.
- AfD politicians attended the New York Young Republican Club gala where Frohnmaier received an award and promoted a transatlantic alliance of 'patriots', with figures like Petr Bystron, Udo Hemmelgarn, Hans-Thomas Tillschneider and Jan-Wenzel Schmidt taking part.
- The administration's early-December national security strategy formalizes building ties with European actors and pledges support for 'resistance' to Europe's current course, citing censorship and suppression of opposition.
- Scrutiny persists as several AfD politicians maintain Russia links and Germany's domestic intelligence has provisionally classified the party as 'gesichert rechtsextremistisch', a step Rubio earlier criticized as evidence of a 'closet tyranny'.