Media: Merkel invited Trump to visit his ancestral homeland in Germany
During a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Friday, German Chancellor Angela President Trump to visit the homeland of his ancestors, the village of Kallstadt in the federal state of the Rhineland-Palatinate from where his grandparents emigrated in the 19th century, Bild reported on Sunday with reference to sources in the German delegation.
According to the publication, this was Merkel’s way of reminding Trump that he has a special bond with Germany. In addition, she presented to the President an engraving of 1705 with a map of the Palatinate. Kallstadt also could be seen there.
Trump’s grandfather Frederick Trump, born Friedrich Trump, was born in the village of Kallstadt in 1869 and immigrated to the United States in 1885.
Bild noted that Merkel failed to get concessions from Trump on either the issue of keeping a deal with Iran or the exclusion of EU countries from the list of states for which the US plans to introduce duties on steel and aluminum on May 1.
At a press conference with Trump in Washington, Merkel said that she discussed with him the question of the possible introduction of duties and that "the decision remains in the hands of the President" of the United States.