Trump again claims his father was born in Germany
WASHINGTON (KTVU, AP) - During a meeting Tuesday with NATO's secretary general, President Trump inaccurately claimed that his father was born in Germany.
The president reached back into his family history - and missed - as he made the point that Germany should be spending more on its own military budget, to relieve pressure on NATO partners.
"I have great respect for Angela, and I have great respect for the country," he said, referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "My father is German, right, was German, and born in a very wonderful place in Germany, and so I have a great feeling for Germany, but they're not paying what they should be paying."
It appears he confused his father and grandfather, in reference to their place of birth.
Donald Trump's father Fred, was born in New York City. The president's grandfather, Friedrich, was born in Germany.
Friedrich Trump immigrated to the U.S. in 1885 at the age of 16, arriving in New York before moving to the western parts of the U.S.
It's not the first time the president misspoke about where his father was born.
During a 2018 interview in Scotland, he said, "Don't forget both of my parents were born in EU sectors, OK? My mother was Scotland. My father was Germany."
He got his mother's birthplace correct, but in that instance, also incorrectly cited Germany as his father's birthplace.