Ex-US Envoy accuses Germany of ‘election interference’ over its taunt to Donald Trump: ‘He was was right about…’

The fact-checking process during Kamala Harris vs Trump debate was not just limited to the ABC moderators. The German Foreign Office too issued a clarification over the former president’s remarks about energy in Germany and also ridiculed him over dubious claim on Haitian migrants in Ohio.

Trump attacked Harris’s renewable energy initiatives, such as lowering emissions from fossil fuels and fracking, on Tuesday night. He used Germany as evidence to support his assertion that those policies are ineffective.

“You believe in things like we’re not going to frack, we’re not going to take fossil fuel, we’re not going to do things that are going to make this country strong whether you like it or not,” the GOP leader stated.

He went on to claim that Germany gave it a shot, and after a year they resumed construction of conventional energy plants. According to him, the US is “not ready for it”, adding that America cannot be sacrificed in the name of a flawed ideology.

Speaking at press conference on Wednesday, a German government spokesman said, “We took note of [Trump’s comments] with some surprise.”

Reacting to Trump’s comment on Germany’s energy policy, the spokesperson said., “I didn’t know what the presidential candidate meant by this.”

Meanwhile, German Foreign Ministry dismissed Trump’s claim by writing on X, “Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50% renewables.”

“And we are shutting down — not building — coal & nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest.”

Former US ambassador to Germany fumes over Germany’s clarification

Former US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who has earlier accused Berlin of “blatant election interference”, blasted Germany for lying about its energy accomplishments.

The US, he said, must be clear-eyed “about Germany’s current government’s election interference.”

“The ministry later had to correct itself. The 50 percent for renewables is only achieved for electricity,” he wrote.

Defending Trump, he said the former President “was right” about Germany on: “Nord Stream 2 Putin pipeline (which helped start the war in Ukraine), lack of NATO spending (despite promising to pay Wales Pledge), Iran sanctions (which funded the war in Israel) and naive energy policies.”

Reacting to Grenell’s post, one X user wrote: “Really something that @GermanyDiplo felt so compelled to outright lie just to try to “get” Trump. Who did they think they were, @ABC?”

“The German Foreign Ministry is interfering in US election … where is the FBI and DOJ?” another asked.

“Shameful. German politicians in government are totally unscrupulous!” a third user chimed in.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Europe minister Anna Lührman hailed the nation for giving sharp rebuttal to Trump over his energy claims. Reacting to Trump’s “disinformation” with “facts and humor” was the “right answer,” Lührman wrote on X, adding that “As democrats, we can no longer allow false statements to stand uncommented.”

“We have stopped using nuclear power and are burning less coal than we have since the 1960s. And our energy supply is and will remain stable,” she added.

Germany takes dig at Trump’s pets accusation

Surprisingly, Germany went a step further to mock Trump for bringing up the disproven conspiracy theory that claimed Haitian immigrants living in Ohio were stealing pets and eating them.

“PS: We also don’t eat dogs or cats,” Germany wrote reacting to Trump’s baseless assertion.

Germany, a nation renowned for its environmental measures, has been attempting to shift its economy to one that is low-carbon. By 2045, it aimed to phase out fossil fuel heating systems.

However, they have had difficulties in recent years. At the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, they faced possible energy shortages and controversially decided to shut down their three surviving nuclear power reactors last year.