Far-right activist Tommy Robinson expressed gratitude to a benefactor who supported his legal defense as he exited a London courtroom this week, following a judge’s ruling that acquitted him of terrorism charges.
“Mr. Elon Musk, I cannot thank you enough. Without your financial aid during my legal battle, I might have faced imprisonment,” Robinson remarked. “Thank you, Elon.”
Following Musk’s tumultuous departure from the White House, Tesla’s CEO suggested he was stepping away from politics. Investors keen for him to concentrate on his business were pleased, resulting in a rise in Tesla’s stock price. However, since then, Musk has shown no signs of abandoning his political pursuits; instead, he has immersed himself deeper into election matters and far-right views on immigration.
Musk’s political activities post-Trump administration have seen him leverage social media to sway the New York mayoral race and develop a right-wing, AI-generated alternative to Wikipedia. He remarked that the “homeless industrial complex” was detrimental to California and stated that “white pride” should be acknowledged. On X, he warned that Britain might plunge into civil war and that Western civilization faced collapse.
On the day Robinson conveyed his thanks, Musk made allegations on social media about “illegals” voting fraudulently in the U.S., amplified objections to video games labeled as “woke,” and characterized established news outlets as left-leaning propaganda.
The world’s wealthiest individual’s political inclinations are adversely affecting his business. A recent Yale University report indicated that his controversial remarks and engagement in far-right politics resulted in a loss of approximately 1 million Tesla car sales between his 2022 Twitter acquisition and April of this year. While consumer loyalty for Tesla remains high, recent data shows a decline, with Musk’s “Government Efficiency Division” dismantling agencies by 2025 and predicting around 14 million deaths globally.
Musk’s personal approval ratings also hit an all-time low this year, according to several surveys. As reported by an August Gallup poll, he ranks five points behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces war crimes charges, and a separate Quinnipiac Poll showed that only about 20% of American women view Musk favorably.
Despite social and economic repercussions from his political stance, Musk’s public backing of far-right ideologies continues unabated. In his typical defiant manner, he has become increasingly vocal about his affiliations, indicating that labels such as “racist” or “extremist” no longer concern him. Tesla shareholders have also shown support; on Thursday, they overwhelmingly approved his proposed $1 trillion compensation, marking the largest in the company’s history.
Shielded from substantial financial fallout and navigating a self-created online echo chamber, Musk has aligned himself with the global far-right, despite a diminishing role within the Trump administration.
Supporting the International Far Right
Musk has maintained cordial relations with several of the globe’s prominent far-right figures. This year, he appeared at a rally for Germany’s anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany. Following Trump’s alleged fascist salute after his inauguration, Musk’s speech, which suggested that Germany should move beyond its historical sins, attracted criticism from Jewish leaders.
Recently, Musk has engaged with the pro-natalist political movement, connecting with far-right activists and influencers on X. Robinson, a long-standing anti-Islam figure with a history of legal troubles, has notably gained his attention.
“It’s time for the British to unite with strong figures like Tommy Robinson and fight for our survival, or we will all perish,” Musk proclaimed on X in response to a video showing a stabbing. “If we fail to alter the trajectory of illegal immigration, similar violence will occur throughout England,” he added.
In September, Musk participated in Robinson’s London rally via livestream, advocating for the disbanding of the British government and claiming that immigration was leading to “Britain’s destruction.”
“Violence will confront you regardless of your choice. Resist or face annihilation,” Musk told the attendees. His comments were later condemned by Downing Street, which cautioned that they risked inciting violence.
Overall, Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 benefited the UK far-right, enabling those previously expelled for violating hate speech policies to return. Musk reinstated accounts from notorious neo-Nazi groups, as well as Robinson’s account, which had been banned for advocating the mass deportation of Muslim refugees.
Musk has emerged as a leading advocate for Britain’s fringe political group, Restore Britain, praising its leader Rupert Lowe. This group recently published a 113-page policy outlining plans for the large-scale deportation of illegal immigrants, proposing the use of military aircraft to transport thousands to Rwanda, irrespective of their origin.
Musk’s growing interference in British politics has attracted criticism from not only the country’s Labour government but also from anti-hate organizations and other politicians.
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Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated on Thursday: “Elon Musk is intentionally using his platform to contaminate our politics and divide our nation. It’s high time our government acknowledges the threat he poses.”
Creating a Right-Wing Bubble Online
While active in global politics, Musk is also committed to building online avenues that promote his conservative ideology. His concerns about artificial intelligence becoming overly “politically correct” and its outputs being “woke” have led him to engage in numerous speculative discussions.
“If universal diversity mandates exist, straight white men would not survive. Consequently, you and I could be terminated by AI,” Musk remarked on Joe Rogan’s podcast last week, referencing the infamous “paperclip dilemma.” This theory postulates that if AI’s sole purpose was to create paperclips, it could annihilate humanity in the process.
Musk’s response to the AI coordination issue has been through his artificial intelligence venture, xAI. This has occupied much of his focus since he exited government, with aims to develop products that align more closely with his views. Theoretically, he envisions creating right-wing versions of popular platforms and products. However, these initiatives have often floundered. His efforts to construct a more conservative AI framework resulted in recent mishaps, including xAI’s Grok chatbot propagating conspiracy theories about “white genocide” and self-identifying as “Mecha-Hitler.”
In addition to communicating with his online allies, Musk has utilized social media to target nonprofits and political adversaries.
Last month, Musk was pivotal in a campaign against the Anti-Defamation League, the foremost Jewish advocacy organization in the U.S. The group faced scrutiny from the right due to an article linking extremist ties to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA. Musk alleged that the ADL “hates Christians,” promotes violence, and amplified posts from right-wing figures criticizing the organization. This campaign led the ADL to retract its entire extremism glossary, which had been recognized as the most exhaustive resource on extremist organizations and movements.
Ahead of the New York mayoral race, Musk again leveraged his platform, using paid promotions to amplify posts denouncing Democratic candidate Zoran Mamdani and inundating users with his tweets. On election day, he shared a series of tweets that misrepresented the electoral process and hinted at a voting conspiracy.
As part of Musk’s efforts to establish an alternative informational ecosystem, xAI recently launched a Wikipedia alternative titled Grokipedia, which Musk proclaimed as superior and impartial. Researchers found that it contained substantial misinformation about notable individuals and events, replicated some entries directly from Wikipedia, and emphasized right-wing perspectives on slavery, immigration, and transgender rights.
For instance, Wikipedia describes Britain First as a “neo-fascist party,” while Grokipedia refers to it as a “patriotic party.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
