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Elon Musk has backed Germany's radical right-wing AfD party at its latest rally, telling attendees that there's too much 'guilt' over the 'sins' of their 'great grandparents'.
The billionaire made a surprise appearance during the AfD's (Alternative fuer Deutschland) election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, voicing his support for the second time in as many weeks.
'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, via video link, told the hall of 4,500 people alongside party leader Alice Weidel.
Last week, the billionaire caused uproar after he made a gesture that drew online comparisons to a Nazi salute during US President Donald Trump's inauguration festivities.
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.
As Musk made his appearance at the AfD rally, anti-far right campaigners were out in force with around 100,000 gathering around Berlin's Brandenburg gate and up to 20,000 in Cologne on Saturday ahead of the February 23 elections.
At Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, participants lighted up their phones, blew whistles and sang anti-fascist songs, and in Cologne, protesters carried banners denouncing AfD.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk speaks live via a video transmission during a speech by Alice Weidel, chancellor candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party, at the AfD election campaign launch rally on January 25, 2025 in Halle, Germany
'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, via video link, told the hall of 4,500 people alongside party leader Alice Weidel
Participants stand with placards during a rally against the far right at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, 25 January 2025
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,' he told onlookers.
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.
Meanwhile, Musk's inflammatory messages on X are reportedly being examined by Government counter-extremism officers in the UK.
The Home Office unit has ramped up the monitoring of the world richest man's posts in order to analyse the risk they pose to Britain, reported The Mirror earlier this month.
A government source told the newspaper: 'We keep a close eye on how disinformation and hate can proliferate, including online.'
Activists take part in a demonstration entitled 'We stand together! Sea of Lights Against a Shift to the Right' against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, January 25, 2025
Participants gather for a demonstration against a political shift to the right to stand together during a 'Sea of Lights for Democracy' in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on January 25, 2025
The reported probe came after the Tesla owner launched a barrage of attacks on the Government on his X social media site.
He has targeted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other senior ministers over Labour's rejection of a new national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The Financial Times reported on January 9 that Musk had held private talks with his allies about how to oust Sir Keir as PM by the next election.
The South African-born businessman, a close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, has also endorsed far-Right thug Tommy Robinson.
Sir Keir has accused Musk of 'spreading lies and misinformation' with his posts to his 210million followers.
While Musk used his platform to promote radical right-wing AfD, it is still coming in second place in pre-election polls behind an opposition bloc of Germany's center-right parties, the Union, led by Friedrich Merz.
Merz said Friday that his party will bring motions to toughen migration policy - one of the main election issues - to parliament next week, a move seen risky in case the motions go to a vote and pass with the help of AfD.
Merz had earlier vowed to bar people from entering the country without proper papers and to step up deportations if he is elected chancellor.
People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025
Demonstration against the shift to the right under the motto 'We stand together' at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. With the 'sea of lights' more than 10000 people protest against a strengthening of the right-wing radical party AfD and other right-wing parties in Europe
Those comments came after a knife attack in Aschaffenburg by a rejected asylum-seeker left a man and a 2-year-old boy dead and spilled over into the election campaign.
Activists including the group calling itself Fridays for Future dubbed the Berlin rally the 'sea of light against the right turn.'
They hope it will draw attention to the actions by the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and to the political lineup ahead of Germany's election.
A protester in Cologne, Thomas Schneemann, said it was most important for him to 'stay united against the far right.'
'Especially after yesterday and what we heard from Friedrich Merz we have to stand together to fight the far right,' Schneemann said.
