By Emma-Victoria Farr
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Elon Musk made a surprise appearance during Germany's AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) election in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, speaking publicly in support of the far-right party for the second time in as many weeks.
Speaking to an audience of 4,500 people and party leader Alice Weidel, Musk spoke live via video link about preserving German culture and protecting the German people.
It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not lose some kind of culture that unites everything,” Musk said.
Last week, an American billionaire caused a stir after he made a gesture he compared on the Internet to a Nazi salute during the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, he said “children should not be held responsible for the sins of their parents, let alone their grandparents,” apparently referring to Germany's Nazi past.
“There's a lot of focus on past crimes, and we need to move beyond that,” he said.
Musk, who spoke about the suppression of speech under the German government, previously attacked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in X.
For his part, Scholz said on Tuesday that he does not support free speech when it is used for correct views.
Musk spoke in favor of voting for the far-right party, saying: “I am very happy with the AfD, I think you are really Germany's best hope () to fight for a good future for Germany,” he told the audience.
Weidel thanked him, said Republicans are making America great again, and asked his supporters to make Germany great again.
Earlier this month, Musk caught Weidel in an interview with X, raising concerns about election meddling.
Despite the wintry weather, anti-right campaigners were active on Saturday, with around 100,000 gathering at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and up to 20,000 in Cologne, including people of all ages carrying colorful umbrellas.