Berlin (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – AfD MEP Maximilian Krah praises Donald Trump as a role model, citing his clear communication style. Krah faces backlash from the AfD and controversy over past comments.
How Does Maximilian Krah View Donald Trump as a Role Model?
The AfD MEP Maximilian Krah sees ex-US President Donald Trump as an inspiration and role model and also resembles himself to the Republican presidential candidate. When questioned whether he takes Trump as a role model, Krah stated in an interview with local broadcaster Sachsen Fernsehen that everyone has to go their way, “but that Trump encourages me and that there are many things where you can say, now let’s do it like Trump, without question”.
What Did Krah Say About Being Inspired by Trump?
About political drives, Krah called Trump a role model and he moved even further: “You have two ways you can practice and sell right-wing politics. You have Giorgia Meloni and you have Donald Trump. Now you can ask yourself, am I Giorgia Meloni or am I Donald Trump? I am Donald Trump.” Krah shared the interview, which was titled “German Trump?” on the YouTube channel of “Sachsen Fernsehen”, on his social media channels.
“But it’s about being inspired. I believe that Donald Trump is an inspiration.” Krah called the Republican a model that should be explored and from whom we can also learn a lot. “Be it that we learn: clear language, clear content and not to be intimidated.”
What Controversial Comments Did Krah Make About the SS?
Maximilian Krah was one of 15 AfD politicians elected to the new EU Parliament in June. He was also formerly a Member of Parliament there. However, he was banned from the new AfD delegation. He is also not a component of the joint parliamentary group of far-right parties that the AfD had formed. The backdrop to this was, among other things, constant gloomy headlines about the Saxon during the election campaign and discontent within the party leadership over sometimes shrill public appearances.
In an Italian newspaper, he had made comments about the National Socialist SS that were sensed as relativizing. As a result, other right-wing parties, including France’s Rassemblement National headed by Marine Le Pen in the EU Parliament, banned the AfD from their joint parliamentary group.
How Is Krah Preparing for the Saxony State Elections?
Ahead of the state polls in Saxony in a month, Krah is now back in full swing, at least in his home state, making movement appearances and also going on the offensive again on his social media channels. According to Der Spiegel, this is not a concern for co-leader Alice Weidel. Krah’s impressions are the decision of his Saxon state association and are therefore “completely acceptable”, according to those closest to her. In Saxony, the AfD was newly in first place in an Infratest survey with 30 per cent, just ahead of the CDU with 29 per cent.
