Germany’s special envoy has warned Trump of plans to redefine the constitution, documents show Reuters
By Sabine Siebold and Friedrich Heine
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s ambassador to the United States has warned that the incoming Trump administration will strip U.S. law enforcement and the media of their independence and give “co-governance” to big tech companies, according to a classified document seen by Reuters.
The summary document, written on January 14 and signed by Ambassador Andreas Michael, describes Donald Trump’s agenda for his second term in the White House as “massive disruption” and “redefining the constitutional system – the maximum accumulation of power from the president at the expense of Congress and the federal states.”
“Basic democratic principles and checks and balances largely fail, the legislature, law enforcement and the media are stripped of their independence and misused as political arms, giving Big Tech the power to co-govern,” he says.
Trump’s transition team had no immediate comment on the ambassador’s assessment.
Germany’s foreign ministry said US voters had elected Trump in a democratic election and “will work closely with the new US administration in the interests of Germany and Europe”.
Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has refrained from directly criticizing Trump since the election, but the ambassador’s secret assessment offers bold comments from a senior German official.
Ambassadors are not replaced immediately by the formation of a new government, unless a change is deemed necessary for diplomatic or other reasons.
The document cites the judiciary, particularly the United States Supreme Court, in Trump’s efforts to advance his agenda, but said that despite the court’s recent decision to expand the president’s powers, “even the biggest critics assume that it will prevent the worst from happening.” .”
Michael sees oversight of the Justice Department and FBI as key to Trump’s political and personal goals, which include mass deportations, impunity for suspected enemies, and legal impunity.
Trump said he has wide legal options to enforce his agenda on states, saying that “even the deployment of the military for policing within the country is possible if ‘rebellion’ and ‘occupation’ are declared.”
The Posse Quotatus Act of 1878 prohibits the federal military from participating in local law enforcement, with some exceptions.
Trump and billionaire X owner Elon Musk are cracking down on critics and unaffiliated media companies, Michaels said, also predicting a “redefinition of the First Amendment.”
In the document, “one is using accusations, threats of criminal charges and cancellation of licenses, the other is using algorithms and getting accounts suspended.”
Musk’s repeated endorsements of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the Feb. 23 national election sparked anger in Berlin, but the government held off on leaving the platform unanimously.
Berlin has endured a strained relationship with the United States during the first Trump administration, facing steep tariffs and criticism that NATO has failed to meet defense spending targets.
