Insights from Munich: Germans Are Seeking Their Own Trump

Last week, Vice President JD Vance addressed a group of agitated elites at the Munich Security Conference, urging European politicians to be more responsive to their constituents’ issues rather than disregarding or censoring them.

Vance’s passionate comments fulfilled President Trump’s commitment to advocate for the often-ignored needs of everyday citizens.

This past weekend, the stark contrast between the elitist conference attendees and the ordinary Germans I spoke with highlighted Vance’s argument.

Common Germans are acutely aware of their country’s crisis and are frustrated that it took an American figure to acknowledge it.

The once-mighty industrial standing of Germany has diminished: it lags behind its European counterparts in various sectors, including digital technology and railway systems.

Layoffs in the automotive sector, once unthinkable, have become routine as excessive regulations and a fervent commitment to green energy stifle economic growth.

Since 2015, significant immigration from Islamic nations has posed serious domestic security challenges. Women now feel unsafe walking alone at night in urban areas.

The eve of the conference in Munich witnessed yet another Islamist attack: A 24-year-old illegal migrant from Afghanistan drove into a crowd, resulting in two fatalities and over 30 injuries.

As the Bundestag election this Sunday approaches, immigration remains the top concern for voters.

During Trump’s first administration, former Chancellor Angela Merkel embodied the “global resistance” to his policies.

The liberal media hailed her as the anti-Trump, but it was Merkel and her advisors who neglected to bolster Germany’s military capabilities and insisted on the continuation of the NordStream 2 pipeline, dismissing Trump’s warnings about its potential to funnel billions to Russia and jeopardize Ukraine.

Throughout Trump’s initial term, I often heard admiration for him from taxi drivers, mainly immigrants from Turkey.

As Germany continues to decline, ordinary citizens increasingly feel that their leaders are disconnected from their concerns, revealing a growing hidden Trump “coalition” within the country.

“My peers are envious,” one German business leader expressed. “We wish we had a Trump figure to reform the government and eliminate waste and overregulation.”

A young woman confided, “I no longer feel safe taking the subway alone at night.” Another shared her reluctance to inform her parents when a young male immigrant “forcefully grabbed her and kissed her” upon leaving a streetcar.

A misguided immigration policy has left many feeling vulnerable, raising concerns about the future of German society amid rising Islamist fundamentalism.

A college student voiced anxiety about the sluggish German economy, burdened by pensions and generous social welfare programs, fearing it threatens their economic prospects.

He remarked that such conditions are “hindering the entrepreneurship and opportunities that Trump promotes in the United States.”

Polls consistently indicate that Germans harbor the same worries that propelled Trump to success.

According to a recent Deutschlandtrend survey, immigration and the economy rank as the two most urgent issues.

Social inequality—both economic and cultural—is also a significant source of concern.

In simple terms, Germans are increasingly alarmed about the disparity between affluent elites and the general populace, as well as cultural divides with recent Muslim immigrants.

If German officials truly listened to these concerned voters, they would pivot away from the disastrous path charted by Merkel.

Germany could transform into a nation focused on security, both at home and abroad.

Domestically, it could emulate Trump’s approach, enhancing law enforcement and deporting illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal backgrounds or who flout the German constitution.

Internationally, as Europe’s largest nation, Germany must shoulder the responsibility for its own security and that of the continent. Building up NATO’s European pillar is its obligation, not America’s.

Media elites have been sounding alarm bells about the supposed demise of the transatlantic alliance.

Yet the reality is that the current iteration of this alliance fails to address the needs of everyday Germans — or American citizens, for that matter.

Instead, it caters to the interests of progressive elites who believe they can hide behind American security while advancing their agendas on energy, trade, social issues, and immigration.

A radical reevaluation of the alliance is necessary: one that prioritizes the interests of average citizens.

The Trump administration is sounding the alarm — a warning European leaders have too long disregarded from their own populace.

It’s time for them to take cues from Trump and make sure our alliances serve the average citizen, not the elites in Brussels and Washington.

Kenneth R. Weinstein is President Emeritus and Japan Chair at Hudson Institute.