WASHINGTON − Elon Musk, billionaire entrepreneur and increasingly close ally to President-elect Donald Trump, in ndorsed Germany’s far right political party in a series of recent posts, following a deadly Christmas market attack there Friday evening.
A driver rammed into a crowd Magdeburg, Germany, killing at least five people and leaving more than 200 injured, according to officials.
Musk has become increasingly influential in American politics, seen as having Trump’s ear and set to co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He is now wading into Germany’s election campaign, calling on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign and throwing his support behind the populist anti-immigration AfD.
“Scholz should resign immediately,” Musk posted on X, adding: “Incompetent fool.”
“The traditional political parties in Germany have utterly failed the people,” he wrote in another post. “AfD is the only hope for Germany”
The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart either a centre-right or centre-left majority, but Germany’s mainstream, more centrist parties have vowed to shun support from the AfD at national level.
Europe’s leading power is expected to vote on Feb. 23 after a centre-left coalition government led by Scholz collapsed.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has already expressed support for other anti-immigration parties across Europe.
The German government said it had taken note of Musk’s post but declined to give any further comment at its regular press conference.
Musk had already voiced support for the AfD last year, when he attacked the German government’s handling of illegal migration.
Last month, Musk called for the sacking of Italian judges who had questioned the legality of government measures to prevent irregular immigration.
And this week Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party and friend of Trump, posted a photo of himself and Reform’s treasurer meeting Musk at Trump’s Florida residence, and said he was in talks with Musk about financial support.
Contributing: Reuters
