Written by Sabine Siebold and Friedrich Heine
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany's ambassador to the United States warned that the incoming Trump administration would rob US law enforcement and media of their independence and hand Big Tech companies “shared governance authority,” according to a confidential document seen by Reuters.
The briefing document, dated January 14 and signed by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, describes Donald Trump's agenda for his second term in the White House as based on “maximum disruption” that would lead to “a redefinition of the constitutional order – maximum concentration of power with “Power.” The President at the expense of Congress and the federal states.”
“Basic democratic principles and checks and balances will be greatly undermined, the legislature, law enforcement and the media will be deprived of their independence and abused as a political arm, and Big Tech will be given the power to co-govern,” the report says.
Trump's transition team had no immediate comment on the ambassador's assessment.
The German Foreign Ministry said that American voters chose Trump in democratic elections, and that it would “work closely with the new American administration for the benefit of Germany and Europe.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's outgoing government has largely refrained from direct public criticism of Trump since the election, but the ambassador's confidential assessment offers a frank view from a senior German official.
Ambassadors are not automatically replaced when a new government is formed, unless a change is deemed necessary for diplomatic or other reasons.
The document points to the judiciary, especially the US Supreme Court, as a key element in Trump's attempts to advance his agenda, but says that despite the court's recent decision to expand presidential powers, “even its biggest critics assume it will prevent the worst.” “.
Michaelis sees control of the Justice Department and the FBI as key to Trump reaching his political and personal goals, including mass deportations, retaliation against perceived enemies, and legal impunity.
He says Trump has broad legal options to impose his agenda on the states, saying: “Even military deployment within the country for police activities would be possible in the event of a declaration of 'rebellion' and 'invasion.'
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the federal military from participating in local law enforcement, with some exceptions.
Michaelis also expects to “redefine the First Amendment,” saying Trump and billionaire X owner Elon Musk are already taking action against critics and uncooperative media companies.
“One is using lawsuits, threatening criminal prosecution and license revocation, and the other is manipulating algorithms and banning accounts,” he says in the document.
Musk's repeated endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of national elections on February 23 has sparked anger in Berlin, but the government has stopped short of unanimously abandoning his platform.
Berlin suffered a particularly difficult relationship with the United States during the first Trump administration, facing expensive tariffs and criticism for failing to meet NATO's target for defense spending.
