German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gifts Donald Trump his grandfather’s birth certificate: Watch

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday gave an unexpected gift to US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the Oval Office, the birth certificate of the Republican leader’s grandfather.

US President Donald Trump, right, and Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Bloomberg)

Merz gave out the details about Trump’s grandfather while presenting him with the framed birth certificate.

“This is the birth certificate of Donald Trump’s grandfather. Born in 1869 close to Brandenburg. And his first name was Friedrich,” Merz told the media as the US President looked on.

Trump shook hands with Merz and thanked him for the gift. He then suggested that he would look for a place to put the birth certificate.

“I want to thank you very much for this one. Wanna thank you for that. Fantastic. We’ll put it up in place of our..I don’t know, maybe we can.. let’s see, we can put it up there someplace,” Trump replied.

Friedrich Trump, or Frederick Trump, was born on March 14, 1869, in Kallstadt, Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1885. He worked several odd jobs before starting to acquire real estate, laying the foundation of the Trump family business. Friedrich died in 1918 in Queens, New York, due to the flu pandemic.

The Donald Trump- Friedrich Merz meeting

Donald Trump and Friedrich Merz bonded during an amicable White House meeting on Thursday. The meeting included talks about Ukraine, trade, and troops, but it did not include the fireworks that characterised other foreign leaders’ Oval Office visits.

Trump described Merz as a good representative of Germany and also “difficult,” terming that a compliment. He said US forces would remain in Germany and that he welcomed Berlin’s commitment to boost its spending on defence.

Merz said the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project from Russia to Germany that Trump opposed was a mistake, and underscored Germany’s readiness to deepen ties with the United States.

The two leaders met in the Oval Office, which has been the site of showdowns between Trump and visiting dignitaries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.