(AFP) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday handed President Donald Trump a German national team football jersey in honour of his birthday and the World Cup, pointedly adding, “we’re on the same team.” As leaders gathered for the morning of the G7 summit in Evian, Merz produced the shirt of Die Mannschaft and handed it to Trump, who received it smiling as British Premier Keir Starmer looked on.
The shirt had the name “Trump” emblazoned on the back along with the number 47, in reference to his status as the 47th president of the United States. The US is currently co-hosting the soccer tournament. The G7 were seeking to find unity after a year when Trump has troubled allies with sometimes unilateral foreign policy moves and hefty tariffs on imports.
“Happy belated 80th birthday, @POTUS,” Merz wrote on X. “After all, we’re on the same team,” he added. Trump arrived at the G7 on Monday fresh from celebrating his 80th birthday by watching MMA cage-fighting on the White House lawn, an engagement that had forced French officials to shift the dates of the summit.
G7 leaders have sometimes seemed uneasy over how to handle Trump, with host President Emmanuel Macron inviting him to a meal at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris late Wednesday but insisting it will not be a “gala” dinner.
© 2024 AFP
