Senator Tom Cotton called on US intelligence agencies to stop sharing information that helps Germany’s spy agency target the far-right Alternative for Germany, joining fellow Republicans in criticizing Berlin for branding the the group as extremist.
In a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday, Cotton said the US should suspend passing on intelligence to Germany until its government recognizes AfD as a legitimate opposition party, and refuse requests to surveil the group and its members.
Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, during a hearing in Washington, DC in March 2025.
Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg
The AfD’s official designation as extremist by German authorities lowers hurdles for surveillance and other security measures.
“I understand that ...
