Musk tells far-right Germany party "past guilt" gets too much focus
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gives what scholars, journalists and rights groups said was a Hitlergruß, or Nazi salute. during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Elon Musk told members of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party that "there's too much focus on past guilt," days after he gave what scholars and rights groups said was a Hitlergruß, or Nazi salute.
Why it matters: The world's richest man made the remarks Saturday, seemingly referring to the burden Germany carries for the Holocaust, two days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The big picture: The comments also follow a series of Nazi-related "jokes" Musk posted on X, which were a series of puns referencing prominent Nazis like chief propagandist Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler.
- Musk in 2023 faced backlash for endorsing an antisemitic post, as 164 Jewish rabbis and activists upped their calls to companies to stop advertising on the Musk-owned X.
- He's also failed to stop the posting or amplification of pro-Nazi content on X.
The latest: Musk spoke virtually to cheering members of AfD while denouncing multiculturism and defending Germany's past.
- "There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that," Musk said.
- "Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents."
- "It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything."
Reality check: Neo-Nazi and skinhead leaders often tell followers at rallies not to be shamed of their grandparents or parents who were members of the Nazi Party before and during World War II. They've also criticized growing multiculturalism in Germany.
- Germany has garnered international recognition for allowing the placement of Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) across the country to commemorate sites linked to victims of the Nazi regime.
Context: Germany will hold a snap election in February after a center-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.
- AfD became the first far-right party this year to win a regional election in Germany since World War II.
Zoom in: Musk's latest comments were quickly denounced by some Jewish groups in the U.S.
- "Again: Musk is a shameless and unrepentant antisemite, and those who defend him only further embolden him and the neo-Nazis he so inspires," Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick said in a statement.
Yes, but: None of the controversies around antisemitism appear to have done him or his companies any visible harm, Axios' Felix Salmon reports.
- Financial markets have been bidding up Tesla stock as Musk cemented his bonds with President Trump.
What we're watching: The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will hold events around International Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration on Monday.
- The event will mark the 80th anniversary of Soviet forces liberating Auschwitz-Birkenau, and many experts believe the commemoration is the last major milestone with many survivors present.
- Survivors are expected to warn the world about rising antisemitism — and could bring up Musk.
