Musk tells Germans to get over 'past guilt' at far-right AfD rally
Tech billionaire Elon Musk told Germans they should be proud of their heritage and should “move beyond” the “past guilt” of older generations.
Musk on Saturday made a virtual appearance at a rally for the far-right German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and reiterated his support for the party ahead of the February election.
“First of all, I wanted to really say that I'm very excited for the AfD, and I think you are really the best hope for Germany,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said in his remarks.
“Something I think that is just very important is that people take pride in Germany and being German. This is very important,” Musk continued. “It's, you know, it's OK to be proud to be German. This is a very important principle.”
Musk said German children should not bear the responsibility for crimes past generations committed, an apparent reference to the Holocaust and crimes committed by the Nazi Party.
“I think there's, like, frankly, too much of a focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,” Musk said. “Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents or even let alone their parents, their great grandparents, maybe even.”
Musk, the richest man in the world and the leader of President Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, has raised eyebrows in recent weeks with his embrace of far-right political parties in Europe, including the AfD.
The remarks Saturday also come after Musk faced backlash for making a controversial gesture during his post-inauguration speech on Monday that some critics compared to a fascist salute.
In the face of the backlash, Musk seemed to dismiss the concerns in a social media post that was filled with puns based on the names of some of the Nazis’ most infamous leaders.
-
Elon Musk tells crowd at German far right event to be proud and move beyond 'sins of their parents'
FRANKFURT, Jan 25 — Elon Musk made a surprise appearance during Germany’s AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, speaking publicly in ...NBC News - 1d -
Far-right AfD event in central German city accompanied by protests
Yahoo News - 2d -
Far-right AfD holds rally in German city hit by fatal knife attack
Yahoo News - 2d -
Far-right AfD to rally in German city hit by fatal knife attack
Yahoo News - 2d -
Protesters against German far-right party: 'Voting AfD is so 1933'
Yahoo News - Jan. 18 -
Protesters slam German police conduct at rally against far-right AfD
Yahoo News - Jan. 12 -
Protest action delays start of German far-right AfD rally in Saxony
Yahoo News - Jan. 11 -
Protests begin ahead of far-right AfD rally in eastern Germany
Yahoo News - Jan. 11 -
Musk interviews German far-right frontwoman
The world's richest man takes his endorsement of Germany's far-right party to a new level.BBC News - Jan. 10
More from The Hill
-
2024 was not a good year for death row inmates seeking mercy
Ironically, as this country gets closer to abolishing death as a punishment, that progress does not bode well for the inmates on death row who will ask to have their lives spared in 2025.The Hill - 12m -
Ocasio-Cortez: 'Trump is all about making inflation WORSE'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said amid fears of a trade war with Colombia on Sunday that President Trump “is all about making inflation WORSE for working class Americans, not better.” “To ...The Hill - 16m -
Carville: Democrats need to let Trump ‘punch himself out’
Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats need to let President Trump “punch himself out.” In remarks on MSNBC on Friday, Carville recalled Muhammad Ali, noting he would go six or seven ...The Hill - 22m -
ICE arrests 956 Sunday as nationwide raids continue
ICE and other federal enforcement agencies were on the ground across the United States on Sunday.The Hill - 37m -
Trump’s crony meritocracy could shatter US civil service
What the Trump folks want is to replace an existing meritocracy with the kind of spoils system that turns civil service into a sewer.The Hill - 42m
More in Politics
-
2024 was not a good year for death row inmates seeking mercy
Ironically, as this country gets closer to abolishing death as a punishment, that progress does not bode well for the inmates on death row who will ask to have their lives spared in 2025.The Hill - 12m -
Ocasio-Cortez: 'Trump is all about making inflation WORSE'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said amid fears of a trade war with Colombia on Sunday that President Trump “is all about making inflation WORSE for working class Americans, not better.” “To ...The Hill - 16m -
Carville: Democrats need to let Trump ‘punch himself out’
Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats need to let President Trump “punch himself out.” In remarks on MSNBC on Friday, Carville recalled Muhammad Ali, noting he would go six or seven ...The Hill - 22m -
1/26: Face the Nation
This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Vice President JD Vance gives his first interview since taking office. Plus, Republican Rep. Mike Turner and Democratic Rep. Jason Crow join.CBS News - 36m -
ICE arrests 956 Sunday as nationwide raids continue
ICE and other federal enforcement agencies were on the ground across the United States on Sunday.The Hill - 37m