German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responds to Elon Musk's support for anti-immigration party: 'Don't feed the troll'
SOEREN STACHE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images and Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to criticism from billionaire Elon Musk.
- Musk called Scholz an "incompetent fool" and signaled his support for Germany's AfD party.
- In a new interview, Scholz said he was concerned about Musk backing the AfD.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to criticism from Elon Musk in a new interview with a German magazine.
In the interview published in Stern on Saturday, Scholz said there was "nothing new" about criticism from "rich media entrepreneurs who do not appreciate social democratic politics and do not hide their opinions."
The key, he said, is to "keep your cool."
"There are many people on social media who want to attract attention with strong slogans," he continued. "The rule is: Don't feed the troll."
He added that he found it "far more concerning" that Musk supported "a partly far-right party like the AfD, which advocates rapprochement with Putin's Russia and seeks to weaken transatlantic relations."
Musk has sparked debate in Germany in recent weeks by calling Scholz an "incompetent fool" and signaling his support for AfD, the Alternative for Germany party.
The AfD was founded in 2013 as an anti-European Union party. More recently, it has taken a hard line on immigration, earning it the label of far-right in some political corners.
Musk — who is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency under President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration — has rejected the far-right label and publicly supported the AfD in posts on X, his social media platform.
Musk reshared a video in December by the right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt in which she criticized Friedrich Merz — a leading candidate to become Germany's next chancellor.
"Only the AfD can save Germany," Musk wrote in his post. He later reaffirmed his support for the AfD in an op-ed for the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Welt am Sonntag and Business Insider are both owned by Axel Springer SE.
In the article, Musk wrote: "The AfD advocates a controlled immigration policy that gives priority to integration and the preservation of German culture and security. This is not about xenophobia, but about ensuring that Germany does not lose its identity in the pursuit of globalization."
A number of German politicians have spoken out against Musk's comments, which have come just weeks before Germany holds a snap election in February.
In a post on X last month, Germany's health minister, Karl Lauterbach, said Musk "should not interfere in our politics" and that his platform "profits from hate and incitement and radicalizes people."
Germany isn't the only country where Musk has shown his support for right-wing leaders in recent months.
Musk has criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and teased donations to the Reform Party, a right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage.
Musk has also backed Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is also considered right-wing, calling her a "precious genius" who was "even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside."