At the meeting, Bad Dürkheim district administrator Hans-Ulrich Ihlenfeld (CDU) accused the AfD of not wanting a real debate about honorary citizenship. The AfD has applied to create its own statutes and to decide on honorary citizenship as quickly as possible – this would mean there would be no real debate on the content. The AfD defended itself against the accusation that it was interested in “showmanship”.
Ihlenfeld himself also voted against honoring the US President. He also referred to numerous letters that had reached him and were mostly against honorary citizenship for the US President. The citizens asked themselves whether others who had actually rendered services to the district should not be honored. There are also “heavy discussions” about whether Trump even acknowledges his Palatinate origins.
The district administrator also questioned the AfD argument that Trump had already ended seven wars and also ended the conflict in the Gaza Strip. He said he had “doubts as to whether we have really succeeded in bringing peace to this conflict,” he said about Gaza. Many citizens also objected that Trump should have supported honorary citizenship for the benefit of the district, which he did not do. “There is actually nothing left that speaks for Donald Trump,” said the district administrator, referring to his ultimately rejected honorary citizenship.
