Trump Gets Schooled on German Energy Policy – And They Don’t Eat Pets Either!

On Wednesday, the German foreign ministry responded to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s assertion during a debate that Germany had reverted to a “standard” energy policy after, in his view, failing to shift away from fossil fuels.

Towards the end of the televised presidential debate, Trump addressed Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, saying:

“You support ideas that the American public doesn’t subscribe to. For instance, you endorse policies like no fracking, no use of fossil fuel, and other measures that, according to me, will strengthen this country, whether you agree or not. Germany attempted to do this and within a year they were back to constructing traditional energy plants.”

The Germans responded with vigor, incorporating a sarcastic reference to Trump’s unfounded assertion made earlier in the debate, that immigrants were consuming Americans’ pets.

“Whether you like it or not, Germany’s energy system is fully operational and over 50% of it is powered by renewable sources,” stated the German foreign ministry, led by Annalena Baerbock of the country’s green party as part of a coalition agreement, on social media. “We are in the process of decommissioning, not constructing, coal and nuclear plants. Coal will be completely phased out from our grid by no later than 2038. And just for the record, we don’t consume cats and dogs.”

“The ex-president isn’t well-known for his understanding of the intricate aspects of European energy policy,” remarked Bernd Radowitz in Recharge, a trade news outlet, on Wednesday.

Radowitz and other critics interpreted Trump’s use of the term “normal” as referring to energy production driven by fossil fuels.

“Decoding Trump’s convoluted argument requires some patience, but the general impression most U.S. viewers and potential voters likely got from this statement is that Germany attempted to abandon fossil fuels, only to reverse course within a year. The presumption is also that by ‘normal energy plants’, Trump is referring to those powered by fossil fuels.”

Since 2010, Germany has been pursuing an Energiewiende strategy aimed at reducing fossil fuel and nuclear energy usage and increasing reliance on renewable energy sources. The transition plan faced setbacks in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia had been supplying over half of Germany’s natural gas, and a portion of its oil and coal. As a result, German officials temporarily revived some nuclear plants, increased coal usage, and imported more natural gas from other sources, drawing criticism from environmental activists.

However, these changes were intended to be short-term and Germany has since made strides in implementing its green energy transition plans. In March, the government announced that it was on track to meet its 2030 climate objectives. Over 60% of the country’s electricity was generated from renewable sources in the first half of this year, a significant increase from 2022.

The German foreign ministry’s social media post had been viewed over 1 million times by Wednesday morning. It was somewhat unclear why the ministry highlighted Trump’s comments about pets, which seemed to be directed at immigrants of color from economically disadvantaged countries. Trump’s statement, which The New York Times labeled as “baseless and exaggerated,” was based on a rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were resorting to eating pets for survival. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), had propagated these racial rumors earlier in the week.

During his presidency, Trump had a tense relationship with Germany, frequently condemning the country for its trade surplus with the U.S. and its insufficient defense spending. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, from the center-left Social Democratic Party, made a statement in July indicating his hope for a Harris victory in the election. Scholz, who has been in office since 2021, had previously endorsed President Joe Biden for reelection last year, making unusually forthright comments about the U.S. electoral race.