"If I were German and I had the right to vote, I would support her. I don't know if it will help or hurt," Trump said alongside Merkel at a press conference in Berlin.
Nearly a year later, Merkel's allies clearly believe that has helped.
The evidence has been seen in recent days at bus stations, subway stations, parks and central squares in Berlin. Putin has returned to the election campaign, but only on posters to support Merkel's re-election efforts.
This time, the image of Mr. Trump appeared on the red, white and blue printed campaign poster, next to the red, black and yellow logo of Ms. Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
Under Trump's face was the line translated from last year's pledge to support: "Wenn ich could, would would would have been Merkel wählen".
The decision to include the image of the former US President in the German election campaign was made by an ally of Ms. Merkel, who is running for the National Assembly seat in Berlin. According to the Washington Post, this is a very unusual move, but reflects Mr. Trump's special position here.
When Trump left office, 86% of Germans said they believed he was doing the right thing for the world, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, his successor, Donald Trump, has only 11%.
CDU activist Tom Cywinski said the reminder that Trump has enthusiastically supported Merkel could help her win more votes from hesitant voters, especially young people.
