Trump and Allies Attack Election Integrity as Germany Accuses US of Meddling

Trump and Allies Attack Election Integrity as Germany Accuses US of Meddling

Former President Donald Trump is set to deliver a national address on election integrity, warning that "without free and fair elections, you don't have a country," as Germany’s chancellor publicly accuses the Trump administration of funding far-right groups to interfere in European elections with up to $3 million in grants [197553][197448].

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Trump’s speech, previewed this week, will focus on election integrity and is expected to echo his long-standing claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election [197553]. The address comes as Colombia’s outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, confirmed he will not attend the August 7 inauguration of his successor, calling the vote a "fraud" and breaking with a long-standing tradition of peaceful power transition [196852].

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accused the Trump administration of trying to interfere in Germany’s upcoming elections. The U.S. State Department announced a new grant program offering up to $3 million to European charities, think tanks, and individuals that support causes aligned with the "Make America Great Again" (Maga) movement, focusing on "sovereignty, migration, and censorship" [197448]. Merz said the scheme risks destabilizing European politics and called it an unacceptable attempt to influence Germany’s vote [197448].

In a separate development, the United States will impose a 25% tariff on most imports from Brazil starting later this month, marking the first move under the Trump administration’s new tariff strategy [197322]. Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a campaign to "dismantle" the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it a threat to American sovereignty, though critics argue the real goal is to secure impunity for war crimes [197421].

Kenya is also bracing for upcoming polls, with a senior lawyer warning the head of the election commission that he bears responsibility for preventing a repeat of the deadly violence that followed the disputed 2007 election [192791].

Sources

Trump: "Without free and fair elections, you don't have a country" #197553Colombia’s Petro to Skip Inauguration, Calls Election a ‘Fraud’ #196852Germany warns US: Stop funding far-right groups in Europe #197448US Hits Brazil with 25% Tariffs Ahead of Election #197322US Targets International Criminal Court: Impunity or Sovereignty? #197421Kenya Election Boss Warned: Don’t Repeat 2007 Mistakes #192791

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