Germany’s ambassador to the U.S., Andreas Michaelis, has sounded the alarm about potential risks to democracy should Donald Trump secure a second term as president.
In a leaked January 14 memo, disclosed by Reuters, Michaelis warned Berlin’s left-leaning government that Trump’s administration would aim to consolidate power by undermining democratic norms and institutions.
Michaelis claimed Trump would co-opt U.S. Big Tech companies to help push his agenda. “Basic democratic principles and checks and balances will be largely undermined,” he wrote. He added that this strategy would erode the independence of the legislature, law enforcement, and media, effectively turning them into political tools. He further asserted that Big Tech firms would act as co-governors in this envisioned power structure.
According to the ambassador, Trump’s agenda would focus on “maximum disruption” and reconfiguring the constitutional framework to centralize authority in the presidency at the expense of Congress and individual states. The memo also alleged that Trump, alongside his ally Elon Musk, would target political adversaries by weaponizing lawsuits, threatening criminal charges, and using social media algorithms to silence dissent.
Michaelis’s warnings echo broader European anxieties about another Trump presidency. While some globally view Trump as committed to ending conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, Europeans harbor some of the most pessimistic expectations, according to a European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) poll.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock defended Michaelis after the memo’s leak, asserting that it was his duty to inform Berlin about potential scenarios under the incoming administration. She emphasized that Germany would act in its own interests when dealing with Trump’s government. “It is precisely the ambassador’s job to make clear what Germany must prepare for in the future,” she told German state media.
Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz also criticized Trump, particularly his previous suggestion about annexing Greenland. On January 20, Scholz stressed that the European Union must bolster its own power and maintain its commitment to international rules. “Borders must not be moved by force,” he remarked, pointing to recent U.S. statements to underscore his point.
Germany’s unease extends beyond Trump himself. Statements by Elon Musk endorsing Germany’s populist-right Alternative for Germany
