Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk gestures behind protective glass during a rally by Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump at the site of Trump's July assassination attempt, in Butler, Pennsylvania, US, October 5, 2024.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Tesla CEO Elon Muskdonor and advisor to the president-elect Donald Trumpis currently trying to influence the German elections by posting support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
In post On Thursday evening, Musk wrote: “Only AfD can save Germany.”
Musk, who has over 200 million followers on his page, commented on this by sharing a post by far-right influencer Naomi Seibt, who stated that “Germany's presumptive next chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is horrified by the idea that Germany should follow Elon's example Musk and Javier Milea,” referring to the Argentine president.
Seibt has a history of promoting white nationalist ideology, The Guardian previously reportedand denied validity scientific consensus around climate change, namely that it is driven by fossil fuel emissions.
In a post on X, Sen. Chris Murphy (R-Conn.) called Musk an “out-of-touch billionaire leading the incoming Trump administration” who “enthusiastically supports a neo-Nazi party in Germany.”
“The mission of the AfD is to rehabilitate the image of the Nazi movement,” Murphy wrote. He added that one party leader has a license plate that is an “open tribute to Hitler” and another “described Judaism as the 'internal enemy' in Germany.”
Musk and Tesla's investor relations team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf ScholzThe center-left Social Democrat rejected Musk's claim that only a far-right party can “save Germany”.
Under the leadership of Scholz Germanythe leftist coalition collapsed in November, and ahead of the February elections, AfD is currently second in polls. Across Germany, where the AfD ranks high in state elections, other parties generally refuse to form a coalition with it.
According to Pew Research, “AfD ran the campaign against arms supplies to Ukraine and called for end of sanctions on Russia” – a view shared by Musk.
Far-right parties have also gained popularity in the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and other countries. Many cheered Trump's election, which Musk helped finance with $277 million in campaign contributions and related Republican causes.
Tesla shares are up about 75% since Trump's victory, unsurpassed last week it was the highest level on record for 2021.
The AfD has apparently criticized Tesla and its factory near Berlin. The party claimed that many of Tesla's thousands of employees commute from Poland or Berlin, limiting economic benefits to the local community in Brandeburg.
The AfD generally sees electric vehicles as part of the ideological climate movement and not good for the German car industry.
Europe has been a difficult market for Tesla this year. Tesla car sales fell 40.9% in November, outpacing the overall 9.5% decline in battery electric vehicle sales, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Elsewhere on Euopre, Musk backed Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and expressed support for Britain's Nigel Farage, a populist politician and head of Reform UK. In South America, Musk supported and is friends with Argentine President Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist.
TO WATCH: Musk's early influence on the government
