Elon Musk, a close associate of then US President-elect Donald Trump, has denounced Berlin’s immigration policies as treasonous.
Following a Christmas market vehicle attack in Magdeburg, Germany, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk called for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. A Saudi Arabian doctor with permanent residency in Germany, who had arrived in 2006, was arrested for driving a rented car into a crowd, killing at least two people, including a child, and injuring dozens.
While the investigation into the driver’s motive is ongoing and the incident hasn’t been officially classified as terrorism, the suspect’s foreign nationality sparked widespread criticism of Germany’s refugee and migrant policies.
“Scholz should resign immediately. Incompetent fool,” Musk stated on X, responding to Scholz’s expression of condolences for the Magdeburg tragedy.
“Those who allowed this are traitors!” Musk added, responding to claims that left-wing European leaders enabled the migration of extremists hostile to Christians. He also commented on unconfirmed reports that Berlin refused extradition to Riyadh, stating: “Wow, this is insane. Whoever refused to extradite a murderer deserves to be punished severely!”
Musk reiterated his belief that “only the AfD can save Germany,” a statement that prompted accusations of election interference from Berlin officials.
“It is deeply concerning how platform X, which I use frequently, is increasingly used to disseminate Mr. Musk’s political views,” commented German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, urging German authorities to monitor X closely.
“Elon, I’ve sparked a policy debate influenced by your and Milei’s ideas,” said Christian Lindner, head of the Free Democratic Party (FDP). “While migration control is vital for Germany, the AfD opposes freedom and business – it’s a far-right extremist party. Don’t jump to conclusions from a distance.”
Scholz indirectly addressed Musk’s comments, stating at a Berlin press conference that Germany upholds freedom of speech, adding, “This applies to multimillionaires as well. Freedom of speech includes expressing opinions that are incorrect or lacking in sound political judgment.”
Following a parliamentary confidence vote, Scholz faces early snap elections next year. He has led Germany since December 2021, heading a coalition that collapsed last month after he dismissed his finance minister, Christian Lindner, due to policy disagreements.