Billionaire Elon Musk has become a prominent cultural figure in recent years, especially after acquiring X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which has grown in influence within sports media. His involvement in politics has also expanded, having served as part of Donald Trump’s cabinet. However, he recently made a political endorsement that shocked and disgusted many.
In a post this week, Elon Musk publicly supported Germany’s far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), a group with known ties to neo-Nazis.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
As noted by the New York Times, the youth wing of the AfD has been classified as a “confirmed extremist” group by German domestic intelligence and the AfD has connections to neo-Nazi factions.
“News that members of the AfD attended a secret meeting with the Austrian extreme-right provocateur Martin Sellner, who has admitted to once being a member of a neo-Nazi group and has called for deporting migrants en masse, led to large protests early this year. Then, starting in May, a leading light of the party was twice given a hefty fine for using Nazi-era slogans during campaign stops,” the New York Times reported.
Needless to say, Musk’s public endorsement of a far-right party with neo-Nazi associations sparked widespread outrage on social media.
“Literally is a neo-Nazi party. Not even joking,” Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman from Illinois, wrote on X.
“Hi Elon. AfD is an extreme far-right party. It also has deep neo-Nazi roots, which it has not yet fully banished. Germany has no shortage of issues, but these guys are not the ones to save them. Please do not amplify them,” international human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky wrote in a post.
“The AfD is an avowedly white supremacist party. It’s not latent, it’s the defining feature of the party. Its youth wing is banned because of its neo-Nazi ties. Elon is among the most powerful men in the world. Let’s all be clear about his political intentions,” another person wrote.
“The AfD is one of the most extreme right parties in Europe, with many German political figures indicating it has connections to Nazism. This is completely messed up,” another comment read.
“Who’s surprised he’s straight up endorsing the Nazis?” someone else commented on X.
“The AfD is Germany’s neo-Nazi party,” another user stated.
Clearly, Musk’s political endorsement has drawn widespread disgust from many online.
