Friedrich Merz prepares birthday letter and gift for Donald Trump
Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will send Donald Trump a handwritten letter for his 80th birthday and will personally present a gift at the G7 summit, reports Der Spiegel.
What Merz plans
The handwritten letter will be delivered to the White House by courier by June 14 — Trump's birthday. The chancellor will present the personal gift on Monday at the G7 summit in Évian, on Lake Geneva. What exactly the gift is — government circles are not revealing.
How Trump is celebrating his 80th birthday
On June 14, Trump is celebrating his birthday with a large-scale event on the South Lawn of the White House. The UFC is holding seven mixed martial arts fights there, with over 100,000 spectators expected, and is covering the estimated $60 million cost.
The fights in the octagonal cage — the Octagon — have been controversial for several months: critics point to the health risks for athletes and the inappropriateness of such a show on White House grounds.
After the celebration, Trump will fly to France for the G7 that same evening.
Previous gifts
Merz has already given Trump unusual gifts several times. During his first visit, he brought a copy of the US president's grandfather's birth certificate from Kallstadt in the Palatinate, and a golf club. In March, he brought an exact copy of the 1785 Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the US and Prussia.
Relations between the two leaders have cooled significantly after Merz's sharp criticism of the American war with Iran. In response, Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Germany. A bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 is considered likely, but has not yet been confirmed.
