Washington (CNN) State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Tuesday cited the D-Day invasion during an answer about the current state of US-German relations.

"We have a very strong relationship with the government of Germany," Nauert said. "Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We obviously have a very long history with the government of Germany, and we have a strong relationship with the government of Germany."

Nauert's comment came during a press briefing Tuesday after she was asked about controversial remarks by the US ambassadors to Germany and Israel.

Richard Grenell, the US envoy to Germany, turned heads when he did an interview with the far-right news site Breitbart. In the interview, Grenell criticized the German government and said he wants to "empower" European conservatives. The ambassador was criticized for politicizing diplomacy at a time when US-German relations are strained over Trump's withdrawals from the Iran deal and the Paris climate accord and his imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union.

When asked about Grenell's remarks on Tuesday, Nauert offered a broad answer about ambassadors having "a right to express their opinion."

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