Musk urges far-right German party to move beyond ‘past guilt’

Greeted by loud cheers, Elon Musk virtually delivered a short speech today at a rally for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, in which he urged the crowd to not be ashamed of their country’s history.

Musk’s appearance comes amid debate over whether a gesture he made twice during an inauguration rally was a Nazi-style salute, which he denies. He was introduced by Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor. At the rally in Halle, Musk encouraged the roughly 4500 attendees to be proud of their German heritage.

“There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that. Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents,” Musk said, seeming to reference the country’s history when the Nazis rose to power.

“You should be optimistic and excited about a future for Germany,” said Musk, as the crowd applauded.

The SpaceX CEO reiterated his praise for AfD, telling supporters: “I think you’re the best hope for Germany.”