Elon Musk joins German far right party event by video

Reuters
·2-min read

Elon Musk has made a surprise appearance during Germany's Alternative fuer Deutschland election campaign event in eastern Germany, speaking publicly in support of the far right party for the second time in as many weeks.

Addressing a hall of 4500 people alongside AfD party leader Alice Weidel, Musk spoke live via video link about preserving German culture and protecting the German people.

"It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything," Musk said.

Despite winter weather, anti-far right campaigners were out in force on Saturday, with around 100,000 gathering around Berlin's Brandenburg gate and up to 20,000 in Cologne, including people of all ages carrying colourful umbrellas.

Protesters against the German far right
Some 100,000 people have protested against the far right at Berlin's Brandenburg gate. (EPA PHOTO)

Last week, the US billionaire caused uproar after he made a gesture that drew online comparisons to a Nazi salute during US President Donald Trump's inauguration festivities.

ADVERTISEMENT

On Saturday, he said: "children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents," apparently referring to Germany's Nazi past.

"There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that," he said.

Musk, who spoke of suppression of speech under Germany's government, has previously attacked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on X.

For his part, Scholz on Tuesday said he does not support freedom of speech when it is used for extreme-right views.

Musk spoke in favour of voting for the far right party, saying: "I'm very excited for the AfD, I think you're really the best hope for Germany fight for a great future for Germany".

Weidel thanked him, said the Republicans were making America great again, and called on her supporters to make Germany great again.

Earlier this month, Musk hosted Weidel in an interview on X, stirring concern about election meddling.

Latest stories

  • Musk Follows That Salute by Telling Germans: Don’t Feel ‘Guilt’ Over Country’s Past

    Elon Musk urged an audience at a German far-right political rally not to feel “guilty” about their country’s history. The surprise speech comes less than a week after he was accused of making a “Sieg Heil”-style salute while giving a speech during President Donald Trump’s inauguration. (Musk has denied this was his intent in making the gesture.) Projected onto a massive screen at a campaign event for right-wing political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Musk told supporters on Saturday,

  • Elon Musk makes surprise appearance during Germany’s AfD election campaign event

    Tesla and SpaceX CEO rallies party’s far-right supporters at end of week where he has been embroiled in controversy

  • Who are the four Israeli hostages released by Hamas in latest swap?

    Female soldiers Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag have returned to Israel.

  • Justin Baldoni’s Wife Breaks Silence Amid Blake Lively Drama

    On Friday, actor and director Justin Baldoni’s wife, Emily Baldoni, posted some words of encouragement on her Instagram account as she wished her husband a happy 41st birthday. In a post, she wrote, “Happy birthday my love. Celebrating the man, husband, and father that you are. I’d choose you again and again.” With the message, she included a photo of the coupe kissing on the beach with their children. Actor Blake Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment in a lawsuit after starring together i

  • Goole Vikings make history with London Broncos win

    Goole Vikings stun former finalists London Broncos 17-10 in their first competitive game to reach the Challenge Cup third round.

  • Derby must score first says Warne after Cardiff loss

    Derby County Paul Warne says his side were made to pay for not scoring the first goal as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Cardiff.

  • Wotton praises Torquay despite Hampton and Richmond loss

    Torquay boss Paul Wotton says his side produced their best home performance of the season, despite losing 1-0 to Hampton and Richmond at Plainmoor.

  • Which Best Picture Oscar Nominees Are Actually Good?

    Want to know more about this year’s Oscar nominees, specifically if they’re actually good and deserving of the accolades? We’ve got you covered. Our critics were massive fans of Anora, the riotous Cinderella stripper story that earned major nods in Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Original Screenplay, among others. Mikey Madison is a revelation as the title character. A true star-making performance.

  • Liverpool vs Ipswich LIVE: Result and reaction as Reds cruise to victory at Anfield

    Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich: Cody Gakpo scored twice to lead the charge as the table-toppers stayed six points clear

  • Trump Zeroes in on Country to Dump Migrants From All Over

    President Donald Trump seems to have finally found a country that won’t rebuff his plan to send it hordes of undocumented immigrants who don’t hail from that nation. The Trump administration is working on a plan with El Salvador that would allow the Latin American country to accept immigrants from the U.S. even if they are not El Salvadorian, according to CBS News. The plan would designate El Salvador as a “Safe Third Country” as part of the agreement, pushing the migrants to seek asylum there i

  • Ontario premier threatens to ban US liquor in stores, shut off power to Americans on border

    Doug Ford warns of stiff retaliation if Trump imposes tariffs

  • Migrants in shackles led on to US military plane - as Mexico refuses to accept deportation flight

    US military aircraft have started flying detained migrants out of America on the orders of Donald Trump, as Mexico refused a request from his administration to allow a deportation plane to land in the country. It comes as the White House released images of men whose hands and ankles were shackled being led on to a plane. Mr Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted the photos on X and declared: "Deportation flights have begun."

  • James Carville Says Better to Let Trump ‘Punch Himself Out’

    Former strategist James Carville has urged the Democratic Party to be patient and bide its time following President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders in his first week back at the White House. Speaking with MSNBC’s The Beat on Friday, Carville told anchor Katie Phang that the Republican president’s opponents ought to let him “punch himself out” before weighing how best to deal with the fallout of his “America First” agenda. As Phang put it to Carville, “On a fascism scale of one to 10, w

  • Donald Trump Trolls ‘Fake News’ With Plans For Third—and Fourth—Term at Vegas Rally

    Like so many high rollers before him, President Donald Trump appeared to be pushing his luck in Las Vegas on Saturday night, in a speech he made at a rally. According to Mediaite, the newly elected Trump teased the crowd by alluding to serving more than two terms as president: “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve. Not once, but twice—or three times or four times,” Trump said, before clarifying he has—at least for now—no real plans to extend his time in the Oval Office. “Headlines f

  • US freezes almost all foreign aid

    The US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide effective immediately days after President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order Monday to put a hold on such assistance for 90 days.

  • Trump Met By Very Handsy Gavin Newsom on L.A. Runway

    Mere hours after saying he would consider curtailing disaster aid to California and scrap the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Donald Trump on Friday touched down in California to meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom and tour damage from the Los Angeles wildfires. After Trump deplaned Air Force One, he engaged in another of his tug-of-war handshakes with Newsom, and the two talked for a moment on the tarmac out of microphone range. They then approached nearby reporters, and First Lady Melan

  • Taiwan’s divided politics undermine defense resolve as Trump returns

    Hours after Donald Trump’s chilly inauguration in Washington, Taiwan’s parliament voted to freeze billions of dollars in defense spending, in a move some worry could frustrate the famously transactional president, who has already demanded Taipei pay “more” for US protection.

  • California secession proponents get green light to take next steps toward ‘Calexit’

    “People think if you’re a secessionist, you’re crazy,” Calexit leader Marcus Ruiz Evans told The Independent

  • Opinion - Blue Alert: Why Democrats are poised to win in 2028 and 2032

    The Republican Party is at a critical crossroads, facing electoral hurdles in 2028 and potential losses in the House of Representatives, while Democrats are poised to win both the 2028 and 2032 elections due to historical and strategic realities.

  • ‘SNL’s Michael Che Has Proof Elon Musk Is Not a ‘Nazi’

    Michael Che tackled perhaps the biggest controversy of the week on Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update”: the salute heard around the world by Elon Musk at a post-inauguration MAGA rally. “Elon Musk was criticized for his speech at a rally after the inauguration in which he appears to give the Nazi salute,” Che said. With a picture of a Tesla Cybertruck displayed beside him, Che joked, “But come on, Elon Musk is not a Nazi. The Nazis made nice cars.”