Angela Merkel makes public dig at Donald Trump about 'alternative facts'

'There needs to be an understanding of persuading people with facts instead of fakes'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warns of a 'crisis of reasoning' (Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)

Angela Merkel has taken an indirect dig at Donald Trump by urging people to use "facts instead of fakes".

The German chancellor made the remarks while speaking at a reception at the Federal Chancellery on Monday.

“There needs to be an understanding of persuading people with facts instead of fakes,” Ms Merkel said, according to a translation from The Local.

She added: “We all know the word post-factual… It means how we think about a topic is more about the emotion and less about the situation.

"But when the mood counts more than the facts, then — at least — in politics we are getting into a crisis of reasoning.”

The US president's team was widely ridiculed after Trump senior aide Kellyanne Conway said controversial comments by the White House press secretary were not lies, but "alternative facts".

"Alternative facts are not facts. They are falsehoods," NBC's Meet the Press host Chuck Todd replied.

CNN have also fact-checked one of Mr Trump's tweets about his inauguration viewing figures, showing one of his claims to be false.