Elon Musk promotes and hosts AfD candidate on X

Elon Musk He used his social network

“I highly recommend that people vote for the AfD,” said Musk, CEO of the company. Tesla And SpaceX, in addition to its role in X, said this about a half-hour into the conversation. “This is my strong recommendation.”

The AfD has been classified as a “suspected extremist organisation” by Germany’s domestic intelligence services. The party’s platform calls for strict asylum laws, mass deportations, cuts to social support and welfare in Germany, and the abolition of restrictions on combustion engine vehicles.

Thierry Breton, former EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said on January 4 Share on X Addressed to Weidel: “As a European citizen concerned about the proper use of regulatory platforms authorized to operate in the European Union… and in particular to protect our democratic norms against any illegal behavior or misconduct during election times, I believe it is important to remind you” that a direct discussion would X must give the AfD and Fidel “a significant and valuable advantage over your rivals.”

While the AfD has garnered around 20% popular support, Germany’s DW radio reports, the party is unlikely to form part of a coalition government, as most other parties have pledged not to work with it.

Alternative for Germany party He protested previously Tesla is building an electric car factory outside Berlin, in part because the factory will provide jobs for people who are not German citizens.

Musk’s previous 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 person, has also supported far-right and anti-establishment candidates and causes in the UK.

Political leaders including France, Germany, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom He denounced His influence, NBC News previously reported, warning that Musk should not participate in their country’s elections.

Musk, who was one of the elected presidents Donald Trump The top backers in the November election had previously promoted Trump in a debate broadcast live on X. Before that, he hosted a conversation with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who lost to Trump in the Republican primary.

During a conversation on Thursday, Wedel Musk asked what Trump might do to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the president-elect also suggested he could do so quickly.

“To be clear, it’s up to President Trump, he’s the leader and the commander, so it’s really up to him,” Musk said. He added: “I don’t want to speak for him, but you know, I think there is a path to a solution, but it will take strong leadership in the United States to get this done.”

Musk also spoke about what he believes needs to be done in Gaza, which has been under attack from Israel since Hamas’ deadly incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023.

“There is no choice but to eliminate those who want to eliminate the State of Israel, and you know basically Hamas,” Musk said. “Then the second step is to reform education so that Palestinians are not trained from the time they were children to hate Israel and desire its death.”

“Then, the third thing, which is also very important, is to make the Palestinian areas prosperous.”

During the wide-ranging discussion, which was Full of misinformationMusk asked Weidel to address German voters’ concerns that her party is far-right.

As Frontline previously reported, some leaders of the AfD, the party’s followers, have sought to downplay or deny the horrors of Nazi Germany. The party still campaigns around anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes ethno-nationalist views.

In Weidel’s response to Musk’s question about how others viewed the AfD, she described Adolf Hitler as a “communist,” who was the “opposite” of right-wing, liberal, or conservative. Musk agreed.

– CNBC Sophie Kidderlein She contributed to this report.

He watches: Musk’s intervention in the European Union will not help Trump