Elon Musk promotes and hosts the Alternative candidate for Germany in X
Alice Weidel, co-chair of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party, spoke to the media with AfD co-chair Tino Chrupalla on December 7, shortly after the AfD leadership endorsed Weidel as the party’s chancellor candidate. 2024, Berlin, Germany.
Mary Will | Getty Images
Elon Musk Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, known as the AfD, has used the X social network to promote it, hosting a live debate with party leader and chancellor candidate Alice Weidel ahead of Thursday’s February 23 general election.
“I really strongly recommend people to vote for the AfD,” CEO Musk said Tesla and in addition to his role at X with SpaceX, he said, about half an hour into the conversation. “This is my strong recommendation.”
The AfD has been classified as a “suspected extremist organization” by Germany’s domestic intelligence services. The party’s platform calls for tougher asylum laws, mass deportations, cuts to social and welfare support in Germany and the lifting of restrictions on combustion-engine cars.
Thierry Breton, the former commissioner of the European Union for the internal market, said so in his statement on January 4 Type in X Directed to Weidel: “As a European citizen concerned with the proper use of the system platforms authorized to operate in the EU… I believe it is very important to remind you of our democratic rules, especially to protect them from illegal or wrongdoing during elections” live discussion on X It would give the AfD and Weidel a “significant and valuable advantage over your rivals”.
Although the AfD has gathered around 20% of public support, according to broadcaster DW, the party is unlikely to form part of a coalition government as most other parties have pledged to work with it.
AfD protested before Tesla’s construction of an electric car factory outside Berlin, in part because the factory would employ non-German citizens.
Musk’s earlier endorsements of the AfD, including tweets praising the party and an editorial in a German newspaper, have angered European government officials. Musk, the world’s richest man, has also supported far-right and anti-establishment candidates and causes in the UK.
Political leaders of France, Germany, Norway and Great Britain condemned his influence, NBC News previously warned, cautioning Musk against meddling in their own country’s elections.
Musk was one of the elected presidents Donald Trump Top backers in the November election had previously encouraged Trump in a debate broadcast live on X. Earlier, he hosted a conversation with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who lost to Trump in the Republican primary.
Weidel asked Musk during Thursday’s speech what Trump could do to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as he said the president-elect could do quickly.
Musk protested.
“To be clear, it’s up to President Trump, he’s the commander and the chief, so it’s really up to him,” Musk said. “I don’t want to speak for him, but you know, I think there is a solution, but it’s going to take strong leadership in the United States to make it happen.”
Musk also reflected on what he thinks should be done in Gaza, which is under attack by Israel after the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel.
“There is no choice but to eliminate those who want to destroy the state of Israel, you know Hamas essentially,” Musk said. “Then the second step is to fix education so that Palestinians are not taught from childhood to hate Israel and want death.”
Then the third and very important thing is to make the Palestinian territories prosperous.”
– CNBC Sophie Kiderlin contributed to this report.
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