--- title: "Elon Musk Endorses Nazi-Linked German Party, Even Though It Opposed Tesla’s Gigafactory" description: "Elon Musk has endorsed Germany's far-right AfD — even though the party is against his own business interests." date: "2024-12-20" modified: "2024-12-20" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-endorses-afd-tesla" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "germany" - "tesla gigafactory" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Endorses Nazi-Linked German Party, Even Though It Opposed Tesla’s Gigafactory ![Elon Musk has endorsed Germany's far-right AfD — even though the party is against his own business interests.]() *\Image: Kent Nishimura via Getty / Futurism\* ## Germany First In an incredible mask-off moment, Elon Musk has endorsed Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD, per its German initials) — even though, weirdly, the party is against his business interests. "Only the AfD can save Germany," the [South African-born billionaire wrote]() on X-formerly-Twitter, quote-tweeting a video from Naomi Seibt, a far-right German YouTuber and apparent fangirl. In the original English-language video, [Seibt took on Freidrich Merz](), a conservative politician who's likely poised to [become the next chancellor of Germany](), for criticizing [Musk's austere economic vision](). "Basically, the mainstream media have declared Friedrich Merz the winner," the 24-year-old influencer said, "completely disregarding the existence of the AfD." ## Burn Baby Burn Musk's endorsement of the party — which has been [linked to neo-Nazi groups]() and [recently fell into disarray]() after one of its officials said that the Third Reich's fearsome Schutzstaffel (SS) weren't necessarily criminals — is yet another example of him shooting himself in the foot. As [folks on X]() have [pointed out](), the AfD staunchly opposes the expansion of Tesla's German Gigafactory in Grunheide, a suburb outside of Berlin. At times, the party whose youth wing the German government considers "[certified extremist]()" has even used violent imagery in its anti-Tesla campaigning, including one poster with a burning Tesla. "Advent advent ein Tesla brennt," the poster reads, a reference to a [German Christmas carol]() that replaces "a little light" ("lichtlein") with Musk's electric vehicle company. https://www.twitter.com/EuroWynner/status/1870046746929180938 ## AfD About It As Germany's [*Deutsche Welle* reported earlier this year](), Musk has shown sympathy for the AfD despite its opposition. Though he doesn't seem to have outright endorsed the AfD until now, the SpaceX and Tesla owner did quote-tweet a post from a xenophobic account in 2023 criticizing German groups for assisting a refugee flotilla traveling from Tunisia to Italy. "Let's hope AfD wins the elections to stop this European suicide," the [initial post read](). Quote-tweeting it, Musk added "[Is the German public aware of this?]()" Amid his [first foray into American government](), Musk is now influence-peddling in Europe too — and he's willing to [cut off his nose to spite his face]() on both sides of the pond if it achieves his [regressive political endgame](). **More on Musk's politicking:** [*Elon Musk Bullies Congress Into Cutting Funding for Child Cancer Research*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()