Freelance Columnist
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Tasha Kheiriddin
Freelance Columnist
Tasha is a political columnist, commentator, and author based in Toronto, Canada. You can read her in The National Post, on Substack at In My Opinion, and in her most recent book, "The Right Path."
Jan 21, 2025
Publicly, Germany might be offering congratulations, but behind the scenes, officials there are expressing concern that Donald Trump’s second presidency could bring “maximum disruption” to the American constitutional order.
A confidential memo from Germany’s ambassador to the US, Andreas Michaelis, addressed to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, warns of Trump’s pursuit of concentrated presidential power at the expense of Congress and state governments. It cautions that Trump could politicize key democratic institutions, including law enforcement, the media, the legislature, and the courts. (In his inaugural address on Monday, Trump promised not to use the judicial system for political persecution.)
The memoalso flags the growing influence of Big Tech in American politics – a particular sore point in Berlin due to Elon Musk’s support for the far-right Alternative for Germany in upcoming national elections. Michaelis warns that X could gain “co-governing power,” potentially reshaping the First Amendment and that Trump could also take legal action or revoke the licenses of his media critics.
