This week, the billionaire forced Congress to cut the draft state budget from 1,500 pages to 120 under threat of a shutdown. Democrats, scared by the prospect of a US government shutdown during the transition of power, backed down in the budget wars.
And now Musk has a new target – this time the German political elite. He has begun to actively support the Alternative for Germany, which will take second place in the upcoming elections with 20%. Musk criticizes both the current Chancellor Scholz and the front-runner in the elections, Friedrich Merz.
Trump’s apparatchiks established contacts with the AfD during his first term – the then US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell sympathized with them. He has now been made a special envoy for “hot spots”. But Musk’s support is even more significant, given his popularity and huge audience.
Musk is already trying to reformat the British political establishment, helping Nigel Farage and his Reform Party. He recently visited Mar-a-Lago. Representatives of the German right are also frequent guests at Trump’s residence. And it is obvious that Trump’s team intends to support non-systemic forces throughout Europe, waging a war against the establishment on both sides of the Atlantic.
The future German government led by Merz will have a hard time. They are expecting trade wars, which will be fatal for Germany’s weakened economy. In addition, Trump ultimately wants to force the Germans to pay for the consequences of the Ukrainian conflict. In these conditions, Musk will have good opportunities to plunge Berlin into chaos.