Federal government preparing for Trump victory
After the failed assassination attempt, the German federal government fears further polarization in the USA. At the same time, plans for a "Scenario Trump 2.0" are being made, according to the Berlin Transatlantic Coordinator.
Following the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, the Transatlantic Coordinator of the German federal government, Michael Link, expressed concern over the political stability of the United States to RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "The surprise attack on Donald Trump could drive the already dramatic polarization between the political camps to new heights," said the FDP politician. "It is to be hoped that Trump's supporters will now react calmly," Link added. "Countless US citizens now want to calm things down and not further escalate the polarization spiral."
Link also assured in the interview that the German government was preparing for a possible Trump victory in the US presidential election on November 5. "Regardless of what happens in November, we must prepare ourselves for the fact that the demands on Germany and the EU for more self-responsibility will increase," said Link.
While Democrat Biden "takes Germany and above all the EU very seriously as an institution and partner," according to Link, Trump "places significantly less value on alliances and allies." "A Trump in the White House would be a challenge for us," conceded the government representative based at the Foreign Office.
"Plans for Scenario Trump 2.0"
"Besides the intensive preparations of the German government, which are running very intensively and self-evidently behind the scenes, there is also a need for a coalition of the democratic parties, factions, and political foundations," explained Link. He has been networking "for a long time" intensively with the experts in CDU and CSU on the topic of preparing for a possible Scenario Trump 2.0.
Link named governors and congressmen in the US states, as well as German business circles in the USA, as important actors. "Where the German economy invests strongly in the USA, it plays an enormous role," said the FDP politician. "Local Republican congressmen and governors therefore want nothing other than a trade conflict between the USA and the EU - even if they publicly support Trump."
The ex-president is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee starting on Monday. Trump survived a near-murder attempt at a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday (local time). He was shot and sustained a minor injury to the ear. In addition to the alleged shooter, a bystander was killed, and two others were seriously injured.
Given the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump and the concern over political stability in the United States, Michael Link, the Transatlantic Coordinator of the German federal government, has been actively preparing for a potential "Scenario Trump 2.0" in the 2024 United States Presidency Election. Link is working to build a coalition of democratic parties, factions, and political foundations to counteract any challenges that a Trump presidency might bring, particularly in terms of US-EU relations and trade.
