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17h ago

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

Coverage clarified that Fred Trump was born in the Bronx, with the family’s German roots tracing to the president’s grandfather.

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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Overview

  • The remark came March 3 during an Oval Office availability with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as reporters pressed the president on other foreign-policy topics.
  • Trump said, “My father was born there,” indicating Germany, before moving on without correcting himself.
  • Fred Trump was born in New York City in 1905, while Frederick Trump was born in Bavaria in 1869 and immigrated to the United States in 1885.
  • Outlets noted the president has made the same incorrect claim before, including a 2018 CBS interview, a 2019 White House photo op, and a 2020 Fox News interview.
  • Media and social-media reactions questioned his cognitive fitness, with Raw Story citing unnamed polling that many Americans view him as increasingly erratic with age, though no formal medical finding was reported.