AGI News

Friedrich Merz in Washington: AGI Expert Analysis in the Media

Jeffrey Rathke

Jeff Rathke

President of AGI

Jeffrey Rathke is the President of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining AICGS, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at CSIS, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy. Jeff joined CSIS in 2015 from the State Department, after a 24-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, dedicated primarily to U.S. relations with Europe. He was director of the State Department Press Office from 2014 to 2015, briefing the State Department press corps and managing the Department's engagement with U.S. print and electronic media. Jeff led the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff to the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as minister-counselor for political affairs (2006–2009), his second tour of duty in Germany. His Washington assignments have included deputy director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs and duty officer in the White House Situation Room and State Department Operations Center.

Mr. Rathke was a Weinberg Fellow at Princeton University (2003–2004), winning the Master’s in Public Policy Prize. He also served at U.S. Embassies in Dublin, Moscow, and Riga, which he helped open after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr. Rathke has been awarded national honors by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as several State Department awards. He holds an M.P.P. degree from Princeton University and B.A. and B.S. degrees from Cornell University. He speaks German, Russian, and Latvian.

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jrathke@aicgs.org

On June 5, 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met President Donald Trump for the first time in the Oval Office. AGI President Jeff Rathke discussed the chancellor’s visit with multiple media outlets.

Ahead of the meeting, AGI President Jeff Rathke spoke about Merz’s goal for the visit: to establish a good relationship with the president and to handle any disagreements diplomatically. Following the meeting at the White House, Mr. Rathke discussed the chancellor’s successful visit, the rapport between the two leaders, and how this will impact the German and American defense and trading relationship.


DW News: What to expect from Merz’s visit to the White House

Newsweek: Trump Set to Square Off With New German Chancellor Merz on Trade, Ukraine

CNN International: The Brief with Jim Scuitto

Welt’s This is America: Musk gegen Trump – und Merz mittendrin

BBC World News: German Chancellor Merz meets Trump

Reuters: Trump, Germany’s Merz build ties in friendly meeting on Ukraine and trade

The views expressed are those of the author(s) alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American-German Institute.