Conditions like in Germany in 1933?
In a new book, US Chief of Staff Mark Milley shares his fears during the final months of the Trump era.
Washington - In the last few months of Donald Trump's presidency, US Chief of Staff Mark Milley, according to a new book, thought a coup attempt by Trump to maintain power was possible.
He feared circumstances like before the Nazis came to power in Germany, write the Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker in their book.
"I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year" (something like: Only I can fix it: Donald J. Trump's catastrophic last year) should appear in the USA next week.
On Wednesday (local time), excerpts were again made public in the US media.
He had never threatened a coup or talked to anyone about a coup, Trump responded in a statement on Thursday.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but one choice is my form of" coup "," said Trump.
"I'm not into coups."
“This is a moment in the Reichstag,” “the Fiihrer's message of faith,” Milley said to confidants in the days before the Capitol was stormed on January 6, according to the book. Trump had repeatedly made allegations of alleged electoral fraud following his loss in the presidential election. With his remarks, Milley drew parallels with the Reichstag fire. The National Socialists used a fire caused by arson in the German parliament in 1933 to consolidate their dictatorship. A spokesman for Milleys initially did not comment on the reports, as the Washington Post wrote.
Milley had already discussed countermeasures with confidants, reported the CNN station, citing the book. For example, he and other military chiefs considered that one after the other would resign if they received orders from Trump that they judged to be illegal or dangerous. The book is reportedly based on interviews with over 140 people, including Trump himself and high-ranking officials in his administration. However, many interlocutors did not want to be named by name.
In an exceptional political statement, Milley had condemned the storming of the Capitol. In June 2020, however, he was criticized for his presence at a Trump photo opportunity after a controversial use against peaceful demonstrators. Trump's government had the demonstration in front of the White House dissolved so that the president could pose in front of a church with a Bible. Milley later said: "I shouldn't have been there." Dpa