German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday said he would advise his children against living or studying in the United States at the moment, citing a rapidly changing social climate and limited opportunities even for the highly educated.

The remarks highlight tensions between the United States and its European allies under President Donald Trump, with trade disputes, the wars in Ukraine and now Iran putting the NATO alliance under strain.

Speaking to a young audience at a Catholic convention in Wuerzburg, Merz, a 70-year-old father of three, said: "I wouldn't recommend that my children go to the U.S. today, get their education there, and work there, simply because a social climate has suddenly developed there."

"Today, the best-educated people in America have great difficulty finding a job", the German chancellor noted.

According to him, people were too prone to think in "disaster mode" about the state of the world and urged Germans to feel more optimistic about their own country's potential. "I firmly believe that there are few countries in the world that offer such great opportunities, especially for young people, as Germany," he added.

Merz last month said the United States was being humiliated in the Iran war, angering Trump. Days later, Washington announced a partial troop withdrawal from Germany and tariff hikes on European Union cars, a sector where Germany is strong.

Merz took office in 2025 as a self-professed transatlanticist but has since criticised Germany's most powerful ally. Trump, in turn, said Merz should focus on fixing his own "broken country".

"I am a great admirer of America," Merz told his audience. "My admiration isn't growing at the moment," he said to laughter and applause.