Topline
Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday called on the UK’s right-wing Reform Party to replace leader Nigel Farage, after attacking the UK’s left-leaning Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week—the latest instance of the world’s richest person, a key supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, wading into global political discourse, often in support of far-right figures.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), … [+]
Key Facts
Musk wrote Sunday on X, “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes,” without elaborating on why he turned against the leader after meeting with him at Mar-A-Lago last month.
Farage, calling Musk’s tweet a “surprise,” suggested Musk was dissatisfied with Farage’s criticism of right-wing anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, who has a lengthy criminal record and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court related to a libel case he lost for spreading false claims about a Syrian schoolboy.
Musk, who generally takes a hardline stance against immigration, began interacting with Robinson in August, and has amplified his calls for Robinson to be freed in the past week, as he’s also taken interest in investigations into the UK’s handling of so-called “grooming gangs” found to have exploited children in towns in northern England.
Farage—a longtime right-wing populist known for his push to leave the European Union—told Sky News on Friday Robinson “won’t be” joining the Reform Party, after saying last year he doesn’t want “anything to do with” Robinson and accusing him of attempts to “stir up hatred.”
Farage stood by his criticism of Robinson on Sunday, writing on X in response to Musk, “my view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.”
Musk’s discourse into UK politics comes after he has also publicly expressed support for conservatives in Germany, Italy and Canada.
Contra
Farage called Musk a “remarkable individual” on X Sunday after saying last week he thinks Musk is a “hero” and crediting him with bringing back “free speech” by buying Twitter and doing away with many of its content moderation policies and reinstating banned accounts, including Robinson’s. Shortly after Musk’s meeting with Farage in December, Reform Party leaders said the Tesla CEO was one of several billionaires eyeing a donation to the party.
Key Background
Musk—whose net worth stands at $424.9 billion—has increasingly flexed his political muscles in recent months, spending over $200 million of his own money to back Trump’s 2024 campaign. The billionaire, who once backed former President Barack Obama, has emerged as a key Trump ally since his election victory: He’s regularly seen alongside Trump at Mar-A-Lago, and is slated to run a cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency.” Musk has also taken an interest in international politics, speaking with a handful of foreign leaders and drawing controversy for reportedly communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He’s also clashed with political figures in several countries, accepting an invitation to fight Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and feuding with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who cut off access to X.
What Else Has Musk Said About Uk Politics?
Musk has frequently attacked Starmer in recent months, including for his response to riots and his handling of online hate speech. On Saturday, he called on King Charles to dissolve parliament and order a new general election after accusing Starmer of failing to properly punish “grooming gangs” while Starmer was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. The right in the UK has used the investigations into the “grooming gangs” to attack the left-wing Labour Party that controls the British government, and the probes have become a rallying cry against immigration as the offenders are predominately British-Pakistani men.
How Has Musk Weighed In On Germany’s Politics?
Musk has expressed support for Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland party, known as the AfD, penning an opinion piece in a German newspaper last month that disputes characterizations of the party as “right-wing extremist.” Musk argued that Germany’s traditional political parties have prompted economic decline by becoming “comfortable with mediocrity” and wrote that “the AfD can save Germany from becoming a shadow of its former self.” The piece prompted widespread backlash, including the resignation of Welt am Sonntag’s opinion page editor Eva Marie Kogel in protest of its publication. AfD—known for its hardline views on immigration—is widely viewed as far-right, including by German officials. Musk said he will live-stream a discussion with AfD leader Alice Weidel next week ahead of the country’s snap election on Feb. 23 prompted by the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government.
What Has Musk Said About Italy?
Musk—who is a personal friend of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, founder of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party—rebuked Italian judges who struck down an anti-immigrant initiative in November, writing on X that the Rome judges “need to go.” Musk’s comments prompted President Sergio Mattarella to tell Musk he “must respect” Italy’s “sovereignty and cannot give himself the task of issuing it instructions.” Meloni met with Trump and Musk in December in Paris and Meloni visited Mar-A-Lago last week.
What Is Musk’s Stance On Canada?
Musk slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month after Trudeau likened Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss to Trump as an attack against women’s rights, calling him an “insufferable tool” in a tweet and predicting he “won’t be in power for much longer.” More recently, Musk praised an episode of the Jordan B. Peterson podcast featuring Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre as a “great interview” in a post on X.
What Has Musk Said About Argentina?
Musk has backed Argentina’s newly elected President Javier Milei, an eccentric figure who describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist. After the November US presidential election, the pair met at Mar-A-Lago.
Further Reading
Elon Musk Pushes For Britain’s King Charles To Dissolve Parliament—As Lawmakers Say Tesla CEO Is ‘Misinformed’ (Forbes)
Elon Musk Supports Germany’s Far-Right AfD Party In Opinion Piece (Forbes)
Who Is Tommy Robinson? Why Elon Musk Is Posting About Far-Right British Activist (Forbes)
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