German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described Elon Musk as a “troll” and said he has no intention of having warm relations with the powerful tech mogul.
In an interview with Germany’s Stern magazine published Saturday, Scholz said he would refuse to “feed the troll” and respond to Musk’s attacks on him and his government.
“There are a lot of people on social media who want to attract attention with snappy slogans,” Scholz said.
“I don’t believe in courting Mr. Musk’s favor,” he continued. “I’m happy to leave that to others.”
“As Social Democrats, we have been used to the fact that there are rich media entrepreneurs who do not appreciate Social Democratic politics — and do not hide their opinions.”
Musk, whose ownership of the X platform and role heading up the Department of Government Efficiency has made him one of the most powerful surrogates of the Trump presidency, has been a vocal critic of the German government.
Only the AfD can save Germany https://t.co/Afu0ea1Fvt
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 20, 2024
He has also thrown his support behind the conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, describing it as the only political organization willing to save the country from the destructive nature of mass immigration.
Scholz, meanwhile, has said that he is concerned that Musk is supporting a party “which is in parts right-wing extremist, which preaches rapprochement with Putin’s Russia and wants to weaken transatlantic relations.”
In a recent op-ed for Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Musk that this portray was “clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka.”
“If Germany wants to regain its industrial strength, it needs a party that doesn’t just talk about growth, but also takes policy action to create an environment where companies can thrive without heavy government intervention,” Musk wrote.
His comments come ahead of federal elections next month, where the AfD is hoping to make major gains across the country.
