Global Ripples from a Small German Election | DW News

Sep 8, 2026 | The far-right AfD's success in recent regional elections in Germany has drawn praise from the United States. American tech billionaire Elon Musk congratulated the AfD after its strong result in Saxony-Anhalt with a brief German message: "Gut gemacht!", or "Well Done!" in English. The AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund responded by thanking Musk and suggesting future economic cooperation. President Donald Trump also drew attention by posting a screenshot of German election projections on Truth Social. Together with Eric Langenbacher from the American-German Institute, DW's Ben Fajzullin discusses what the reaction says about transatlantic ties between right and far-right political movements.