Markus Frohnmaier, a senior AfD foreign policy spokesman, used a New York MAGA gala to call for a U.S.–German nationalist alliance, citing a recent U.S. security paper that praised Europe's patriotic parties. About 20 AfD lawmakers attended the event hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, which has increasingly drawn international far-right figures. Germany's domestic intelligence agency this year labeled the AfD a right-wing extremist organization, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of a major shift in U.S.–Europe relations. Frohnmaier also met a U.S. State Department official and invited U.S. figures to a February congress in Germany; the State Department did not immediately comment.
AfD Lawmaker Urges US–German Nationalist Alliance at New York MAGA Gala
Markus Frohnmaier, a German politician from Alternative for Germany, speaks to press at the New York Young Republican Club's Annual Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, U.S., December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stephen Yang
A senior German far-right lawmaker used a high-profile New York MAGA gala to call for a formal alliance between U.S. and German nationalist parties, citing momentum from a recently published U.S. security strategy that praised Europe's patriotic movements.
Markus Frohnmaier, the foreign policy spokesperson for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) federal parliamentary group, was among roughly 20 AfD state, federal and European lawmakers who attended the black-tie event hosted by the New York Young Republican Club. The gala, which U.S. President Donald Trump headlined two years ago, has become a gathering point for MAGA-aligned Republicans and international far-right figures.
Markus Frohnmaier, a German politician from Alternative for Germany, speaks to the press at the New York Young Republican Club's Annual Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, U.S., December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stephen Yang
Remarks and Reaction
At the gala Frohnmaier called for closer ties between nationalist movements in the United States and Germany. "The alliance between American and German patriots is the nightmare of the liberal elites – and it is the hope of the free world," he said. "Let us reclaim our culture, let us reclaim our nations, and let us make the West whole again."
The comments followed the release of a U.S. strategy document that framed parts of Europe as stifling free expression and political opposition and encouraged Washington to "cultivate resistance to Europe's current trajectory." Some European leaders fear such language could lend legitimacy to far-right parties on the continent.
Markus Frohnmaier, a German politician from Alternative for Germany, speaks at the New York Young Republican Club's Annual Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, U.S., December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stephen Yang
Diplomatic Fallout and Context
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking earlier the same day, warned Europe to brace for a fundamental shift in relations with the United States, saying the era of "Pax Americana" was largely over. The AfD — described in reporting as an anti-immigration party — is leading some nationwide polls ahead of five state elections in 2026. Germany's domestic intelligence agency this year classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist organization, and other German parties maintain a de facto refusal to cooperate with AfD lawmakers.
Frohnmaier met U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers prior to the gala; Rogers recently published a video criticizing alleged instances of censorship across Europe. Frohnmaier said he had invited U.S. State Department officials and members of Congress to a congress in Germany scheduled for February, the month that typically attracts international leaders for the Munich Security Conference. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ongoing Scrutiny
Ties between the New York Young Republican Club and the AfD date back several years but have intensified recently, drawing increased scrutiny. Earlier this year the club hosted a reception for visiting AfD lawmakers at which a singer performed the controversial first stanza of Germany's national anthem — a stanza associated with the Nazi era — prompting further criticism.
Reporting: Hussein Waaile in New York and Sarah Marsh in Berlin. Additional reporting by Friederike Heine; editing by Christina Fincher.
