Confidential document: German ambassador claims Trump will take away the independence of the police and media...

The document, signed by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis on January 14, describes Donald Trump's agenda for his second presidential term as one of "maximum disruption" that will lead to "a redefinition of the constitutional order - the maximum concentration of presidential power at the expense of Congress and the states."

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Trump, Photo: Reuters
Trump, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

The German ambassador to the United States has warned that the administration of incoming President Donald Trump will strip the independence of American police and media and give big tech companies "co-management power," according to a confidential document seen by Reuters.

The document, signed by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis on January 14, describes Donald Trump's agenda for his second presidential term as one of "maximum disruption" that will lead to "a redefinition of the constitutional order - the maximum concentration of presidential power at the expense of Congress and the states."

Michael
Michaelphoto: Screenshot/Youtube

"Basic democratic principles and checks will be largely undermined, the legislature, police and media will be stripped of their independence and misused as political leverage, and big tech companies will gain corrupting power," the document says.

Trump's transition team did not immediately want to comment on the ambassador's assessment.

The German Foreign Ministry said earlier that American voters elected Trump in a democratic election and that it would "cooperate closely with the new US administration in the interests of Germany and Europe," Reuters reports.

The outgoing government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has largely refrained from directly criticizing Trump publicly since his election, but the ambassador's confidential assessment shows the open-minded view of a senior German official. Ambassadors do not automatically change with the formation of a new government, unless a change is deemed necessary for diplomatic or other reasons.

The document cites the judiciary, and particularly the US Supreme Court, as central to Trump's attempts to implement his agenda, but says that despite the court's recent decision to expand presidential powers, "even the most vocal critics assume that (the court) will prevent the worst from happening."

Michaelis sees control of the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the federal police, as crucial to Trump's pursuit of political and personal goals, including mass deportations, reprisals against perceived enemies, and legal impunity.

He says Trump has broad legal authority to impose his agenda on the states, adding that even "deploying the military within the country for police activities would be possible in the event of a declared 'insurrection' or 'invasion'."

The 1878 law prohibits the federal military from participating in police operations within the country, with certain exceptions.

Michaelis also predicts there will be a "redefinition of the First Amendment," saying that Trump and billionaire and X-Network owner Elon Musk are already taking action against critics and uncooperative media companies.

"One is using lawsuits, threatening prosecution and revocation of licenses, and the other is working to manipulate algorithms and block accounts," the document says.

Musk's repeated support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of Germany's February 23 election has sparked outrage in Berlin, but the government has not abandoned his platform.

Berlin had a particularly difficult relationship with the United States during Trump's first presidency, Reuters recalls, when it faced costly tariffs and criticism for failing to meet NATO military spending targets.

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