Recently, Musk published conspiracy theories about Muslim “cleaning gangs” in Britain and called for the release of far-right activist Tommy Robinson from prison. Musk’s support of Robinson, who has a history of publishing racist and Islamophobic content, initially prompted British reform leader Nigel Farage to back off from Malik X. But in a TV show he is doing on the right-wing GB news station this week, Farage appears to have bent the knee to Musk.
“I don’t think so [Robinson’s] Farage told his viewers. “I ask why he is in prison and kept in solitary confinement.” (Robinson is in prison after being held in contempt in court for repeatedly lying about a Syrian refugee.)
Last year, Musk spent months opposing Brazil’s Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, after the court ordered X to remove a number of accounts and content that he said violated the law by undermining faith in the integrity of the country’s elections. has violated, remove After right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lost his 2022 re-election bid, his supporters stormed the country’s legislature on January 8, 2023, claiming the election was stolen (shouldn’t be) in a repeat of the January 6, 2021 election. ., Riot in the United States Congress. Moraes was a staunch opponent of Bolsonaro. X refused to obey the order for months, even handing over sealed court orders to the US Congressional Subcommittee on Federal Government Armaments, led by right-wing Congressman Jim Jordan, and then releasing them as published publicly.
At the time, many in Brazil felt that Musk’s actions, as well as the release of the orders, were an attempt to undermine democracy and the country’s sovereignty. A Brazil court eventually ordered X blocked in the country for non-compliance and issued a fine against Musk’s Starlink, after which X complied.
He also lashed out at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during the country’s elections (which many in the international community believe were rigged).
“It has established itself as a powerful center of communication between different groups of people in many countries,” says Christian Katzenbach, professor of media and communication at the University of Bremen. These groups include people in the tech industry, moderate conservatives, advocates of economic liberalism, and right-wing movements. “These groups have not had much connection in the past, but are increasingly aligned with modern opposition centre/left governments.” By amplifying diverse voices, Musk is actively bringing right-wing views into mainstream debates and opening up new demographic groups as right-wing voters, he says.
Even outside of the election, Musk appears to be forging alliances with like-minded leaders. In April, Musk met with the right-wing president of Argentina, Javier Maile. Miley’s administration has cut costs in a way that Musk said in an X post “will be a useful model for the rest of the world.” The poverty rate in Argentina has reached more than 50% under Miley’s government.
And while Musk certainly seems motivated by certain political ideologies, Katzenbach notes that Musk’s involvement in European politics could benefit his business interests, particularly by rolling back social media regulation in the bloc. Making new ways for his companies. The EU is currently investigating X for violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which could lead to fines. In Italy, Musk is considering a deal with the right-wing government led by Giorgia Meloni for a $1.5 billion contract to launch satellite communications via Starlink, which could compete with a European satellite plan.
“Internationally his motivations are certainly different things,” says Katzenbach. But either way, Musk seems determined to be a political force that transcends national boundaries.
David Gilbert contributed to the report.
