US is ‘not a one man show’: German FM warns Trump not to ‘add fuel to fire’ over election result

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has made a veiled warning to Donald Trump not to “add fuel to the fire” by “acting irresponsibly” over the result of the US election, as Joe Biden leads but the race remains too close to call.

In an interview published by Berliner Morgenpost (Berlin Morning Post) and other newspapers, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas declared that “good losers are more important for the functioning of a democracy than good winners,” urging politicians in the US to not “add fuel to the fire,” as the presidential election remains undecided days after polls closed. 

The comments from Maas are seen as a rebuke of President Trump who, as his lead has disappeared in key states, has made numerous claims of voter fraud. However, there is no clear evidence of mass voter fraud. 

Asked about the impact of the US presidential election on the relationship between Germany and the US, the FM said that “America is more than a one-man show” and that, regardless of the outcome, the two countries will continue to work together. Maas indicated his hope that, while the US won’t instantly return to the international stage “with full energy,” the result will allow them to work “quickly to get the West to play as a team again.” 

Germany’s foreign minister has been critical of the US president in the past, accusing him in September of trying to “sow doubt on the validity of the election,” and expressing disappointment earlier this year at the “complicated” relationship his country has had with Washington since Trump took office. 

The result of the US presidential election has still not been called, with four states – Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania – still counting ballots. Biden is currently leading in all four states.

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