Elon Musk’s endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) caused controversy in Germany weeks ahead of their federal elections. Where else has Musk spoken out about politics?
Elon Musk’s recent endorsement of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party sparked controversy a few weeks before the country’s federal election, marking one of the billionaire’s latest comments on the global political sphere.
The world’s wealthiest person wrote in an op-ed for a German newspaper earlier this month that he supports the AfD’s position on energy, economic recovery, and migration, principles that he said “made Tesla and SpaceX successful”.
In response, German government officials accused Musk of trying to influence the upcoming February 23rd election.
Here are other examples of Musk weighing in on politics in Europe and elsewhere last year.
Musk on UK politics
Musk was recently pictured with Nigel Farage, leader of the populist party Reform UK, and Nick Candy, the party’s treasurer in front of a painting of Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago, the US president-elect’s estate in Florida.
Some say the photo suggested that Musk, who is already a key player in the second Trump administration, could turn his attention to UK politics.
Farage confirmed to British media in December that Musk was considering donating to his party.
To block it, UK legislators could fast-track legislation to limit foreign political donations, according to the Guardian.
According to existing laws, Musk can’t make a personal donation because he is not registered to vote in the UK but he could potentially contribute through the UK subsidiary of X, which still carries on business in the country, according to company records.
It’s not the first time in 2024 that UK politicians are grappling with the aftermath of Musk’s comments.
Earlier this year, Musk accused Britain of being a tyrannical police state and stoked tension in the UK by saying civil war was “inevitable” during this summer’s Southport riots.
The UK’s communications regulator found shortly after that there was a “clear connection” between the role of social media posts and violence on the streets during the riots.
Musk has also supported UK far-right voices on his platform, like extremist Tommy Robinson and Ashlea Simon, the co-founder of white supremacist group Britain First, according to the Financial Times.
Warning in Italy
Musk received a pointed warning from Italian President Sergio Mattarella to stop interfering in the country’s affairs after a controversial tweet on his page asked for judges to be dismissed.
A group of Rome magistrates ruled in November that seven men detained in Albania under a new Italy-Albanian migration pact must be transferred back to Italy, a move widely considered to be a blow to right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s curbs on irregular migration.
Musk suggested on X in the wake of the ruling that “these judges have to go”.
Musk wrote in a later post that the ruling was “unacceptable,” and questioned whether “the people of Italy live in a democracy or does an unelected autocracy make the decisions?”
“Italy is a great democratic country and … knows how to take care of itself,” Mattarella is reported to have said by CNN.
Andrea Stroppa, Musk’s Italian representative, said in a statement at the time that Musk respects President Mattarella and the Italian constitution but will “continue to freely express his opinions”.
An ‘X’ ban in Brazil leads to political protests
Musk has faced several legal challenges related to content moderation, but none quite as high stakes as his showdown with Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian supreme court justice.
It began when Musk fought a court order in April to remove over 100 accounts that were flagged for hate speech, misinformation or flagged as a threat to democracy, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Musk accused de Moraes of “censorship” and lifted restrictions that were initially imposed on the accounts.
De Moraes ordered Musk to appoint a legal representative in the company. Failing to do that led X to be banned from Brazil on August 30 until fines were paid.
The ban led to demonstrations of a few thousand supporters of former President Bolsonaro. They said the ban was proof of their political persecution, according to the AP.
The ban was eventually lifted just over a month later after X paid Brazil $5 million (€4.4 million) in fines.
Musk’s political power in the US
Musk has also been busy in his adopted country of the United States, where he poured an estimated $200 million (€191 million) into Trump’s re-election campaign through America PAC, a super political action committee he created ahead of the November election.
In the days leading up to the November US election, Musk also offered to give random voters in swing states $1 million (€957,000) if they pledged support for the First and Second Amendments to the US Constitution on free speech and gun rights.
The day before the vote, a Pennsylvania judge ruled that the draw could continue.
Shortly after Trump’s win, Musk was named co-head of a new outside organisation called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will provide advice to the White House on cutting red tape within the government.
Musk also pushed the US government to a potential shutdown alongside Trump by posting hundreds of misleading X posts about a bipartisan bill to fund government operations.
