Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right political party for Germany (AfD), arrives to speak to the media with AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla shortly after the AfD leadership confirmed Weidel as the party's candidate for chancellor on December 07, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.
Mary Will | Getty Images
Elon Musk used his social network X to promote Germany's far-right party for Germany, known as AfD, holding a live chat on Thursday with party leader Alice Weidel, a candidate for chancellor, ahead of a general election on February 23rd.
“I strongly recommend that people vote for AfD,” said Musk, who is its CEO Tesla and SpaceX in addition to his role at X, he said about half an hour after the conversation. “That's my strong recommendation.”
The AfD has been classified as a “suspicious opposition group” by Germany's domestic intelligence services. The party's platform calls for stricter asylum laws, mass deportations, cuts to social assistance and benefits in Germany, and the rollback of restrictions on combustion engine vehicles.
Thierry Breton, former European Union commissioner for the internal market, said in January 4 post on X addressed to Weidel: “As a European citizen responsible for the correct use of systemic platforms authorized to work in the EU … a live debate on X “would give AfD and Weidel an important and valuable advantage over the your competitors.”
Although AfD has gathered around 20% of public support, according to broadcaster DW, the party is unlikely to be part of a coalition government, as most parties others have promised not to work with him.
AfD complain before building out the Tesla electric vehicle factory outside Berlin, in part because the factory would provide jobs for non-German citizens.
Musk's earlier endorsements of 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 in France, Germany, Norway and the UK to deny his influence, NBC News previously reported, warning that Musk should not be involved in the elections of their countries.
Musk, who was president-elect Donald Trump Major supporters in the November election, previously encouraged Trump in a live debate on X. Before that, he held a conversation with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who lost to Trump in the Republican primary.
Weidel asked Musk during Thursday's speech about what Trump could do to end Russia's war in Ukraine, which the president-elect has suggested he could do quickly.
Musk was devastated.
“To be clear this is up to President Trump, he's the commander and the boss, so it's up to him,” Musk said. “I don't want to speak for him but you know you have that I think there is a way to a resolution but it needs strong leadership in the United States to do this.
Musk also emphasized what he thought should be done in Gaza, which has been under attack from Israel since Hamas entered Israel on October 7, 2023.
“There is no choice but to eliminate those who want to eliminate the state of Israel, you know Hamas basically,” Musk said. “Then, the second step is to fix the education so that Palestinians are not trained from childhood to hate and want the death of Israel.”
“Then, the third thing, which is also very important, is to make the Palestinian territories successful.”
– CNBC Sophie Kiderlin contributed to this report.
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