Musk’s German Controversy: Far-Right Party, Trump Ties, and Political Backlash

Elon Musk finds himself in the hot seat after endorsing Germany’s far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). The move hasn’t been well-received by German politicians who see it as election interference. Musk’s past support for Donald Trump isn’t helping his case. One prominent politician from Germany’s Social Democratic Party, Rolf Mützenich, even suggested that the interference might be coming from the new American administration. He called for clarity on whether this meddling was done in the name of the incoming U. S. government. A German government spokesperson took it further, accusing Musk of attempting to sway the federal election. They commented that even the right to free speech protects the “greatest nonsense. ”But will Musk’s endorsement actually help AfD? The party is currently second in the polls at 19 percent, with Germany’s conservative alliance leading at 30 percent. Friedrich Merz from the Christian Democratic Union looks set to become the next chancellor. This situation raises questions about how Trump will interact with the upcoming conservative German government. During his first term, Trump wasn’t fond of Germany or then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. In August, Musk hosted a live discussion with Trump on the X platform. The chat, held in X’s Spaces feature, faced technical hiccups, embarrassing both Musk and the platform.