Main Headline
Elon Musk Endorses Germany's Extreme-Right AfD Party in Op-Ed Piece
billionaire Elon Musk endorsed Germany's extremist right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in a published article, deepening his involvement in international politics as he has become a regular in Trump's circle.
Essential Facts
Musk disputed the characterization of the AfD as "extreme right-wing," pointing out that the party's leader, Alice Weidel, is homosexual, asking "Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!"
Musk penned the article in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper following comments last week that "only the AfD can save Germany," sparking widespread criticism, with conservative writer and frequent Trump critic Bill Kristol accusing Musk of endorsing a "German neo-Nazi party."
In the newspaper article, Musk accused Germany's traditional political parties of being "comfortable with mediocrity," including economic decline, writing that "the AfD can save Germany from becoming a shadow of its former self."
The Tesla founder—who has also expressed support for anti-immigrant political parties in the UK and Italy—justified his involvement in German politics due to his business interests in the country, including a Tesla factory in Brandenburg.
Commentary section editor Eva Marie Kogel resigned in protest after the article was published, while the paper's editor-in-chief designate, Philipp Bugard, published a response stating "Musk's diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally false."
Germany's domestic intelligence agency classifies the AfD as suspected extremism and has the party under surveillance due to potential threats it poses.
Main Critic
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told CNN last week that Musk's political opinions are influential given his proximity to Trump, "warning" that "what Elon Musk thinks tends to eventually be what the president of the United States thinks. And if the United States takes an official position in favor of neo-Nazis in Germany, I mean, it is absolutely catastrophic."
Side Note
Vice President-elect JD Vance has also expressed support for the AfD, sarcastically responding to X posts criticizing the party's hardline immigration stance as dangerous, writing on Dec. 21 "It's so dangerous for people to control their borders. So so dangerous. The dangerous level is off the charts."
Background Information
Musk penned the op-ed following the collapse of Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government earlier this month, prompting a snap election scheduled for Feb. 23. Musk's article was published in a newspaper owned by the Axel Springer media group, which also owns Politico. The AfD is fiercely against immigration and has been accused of using Nazi and white supremacist rhetoric, including a campaign advertisement that showed a naked white woman being accosted by a dark-skinned man in an Arabic head scarf and urged Europeans to "vote for AfD, so that Europe will never become ‘Eurabia.’" Musk, who has become a regular at Trump's side since he won the November election and was appointed to head a newly created government efficiency department, has made numerous statements in support of the AfD on X recently, writing earlier this month that the party's anti-immigration policies "sound reasonable" and questioning in June why the party is labeled far-right.
Additional Reading
Elon Musk pens German newspaper opinion piece supporting far-right AfD party (The Guardian)
Elon Musk endorses far-right German political party, wading deeper into global politics (CNN)
Elon Musk backs AfD party in German newspaper opinion piece (Reuters)
In response to Musk's endorsement of the AfD, Germany's domestic intelligence agency continues to monitor the party due to potential extremist threats. Despite Elon Musk's business interests in Germany, including a Tesla factory in Brandenburg, many critics label the AfD as a "German neo-Nazi party."
Elon Musk, who has expressed support for right-wing political parties in various countries, defended his endorsement of Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) by criticizing Germany's traditional political parties for being "comfortable with mediocrity."
