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2w ago

Trump Misstates His Father's Birthplace During Oval Office Exchange With German Chancellor

The repeat misstatement reignited scrutiny of his cognitive fitness, with some critics urging a 25th Amendment assessment.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2026.
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Overview

  • During a March 3 Oval Office photo op with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Trump said his father was born in Germany while discussing the U.K. and Diego Garcia as reporters also pressed him about U.S. strikes on Iran without congressional approval.
  • Fred Trump was born in the Bronx in 1905, whereas the president’s grandfather, Friedrich Trump, was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1885.
  • Trump has made similar claims in prior settings, including interviews in 2018 and 2020 and public appearances in 2019 and 2025.
  • The remark prompted widespread online ridicule and fresh concerns about his health, with commentators such as Mehdi Hasan calling for a 25th Amendment process.
  • The White House addressed separate health chatter by saying redness on the president’s neck is a temporary effect of a prescribed topical cream, according to the presidential physician.