US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has downplayed contacts with AfD politicians as a normal part of his work. Following a trip by AfD members to the US, he emphasized the need to understand the full political spectrum. The contacts have drawn criticism in Germany over potential funding from taxpayer money.
In Washington, D.C., US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that it was his department's job to analyze "the entire political spectrum" of other countries and inform President Donald Trump accordingly. This came amid a recent trip by at least 18 AfD politicians to the US last week. The delegation, including deputy faction leader Markus Frohnmaier, accepted an invitation from Republicans and held talks with American partners. Frohnmaier was received by Sarah Rogers, Rubio's undersecretary for public diplomacy.
Rubio stressed that such contacts did not imply support for elections. They would, however, be useful if AfD officials won. In Germany, the trip sparked cross-party criticism, particularly over the high costs potentially covered by faction funds. Left party faction leader Eva von Angern called it a "misuse of taxpayer money" and criticized networks "that damage our democracy." The AfD plans to invite US government representatives to a congress in Berlin.
Trump's Republicans maintain close ties with European right-wing populists. The new US security strategy from early December outlines building such contacts as a guideline. Vice President JD Vance and Republican lawmakers praised the AfD. After the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the AfD as "confirmed right-wing extremist" in May, Rubio accused Germany of "disguised tyranny."
