LONDON − Elon Musk is the wealthiest individual globally and is highly active on social media. He will play a significant cost-cutting role in Donald Trump’s administration once the president-elect takes office later this month.

Musk frequently criticizes international governments he disagrees with while applauding far-right leaders.

In recent weeks, the tech entrepreneur has utilized his X platform to launch numerous criticisms and allegations aimed at political leaders in the UK, Germany, and Canada.

Although he refrained from naming names, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed concern during a news conference on Monday. He responded to a journalist’s Inquiry by stating that Musk and similar figures spreading misinformation have overstepped their bounds. Starmer condemned their actions as “spreading lies” akin to the “poison of the far-right,” asserting that such individuals lacked genuine concern for victims.

Musk, a significant financial backer of Trump’s campaign, has been appointed alongside Vivek Ramaswamy to co-manage the Department of Government Efficiency. The two have been seen together frequently, including at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago establishment in Florida.

What has Musk been saying?

Musk has advocated for the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right extremist incarcerated for 18 months for spreading false claims regarding a Syrian refugee schoolboy attacking girls in Britain.

He has claimed, “America should liberate the British people from their oppressive government.” Furthermore, he accused Starmer of not bringing “rape gangs” to justice, referring to a series of abuse cases from a decade ago involving groups of men in northern England, primarily of Pakistani descent, who were convicted of grooming and abusing numerous girls. Some received long prison sentences for their crimes. The prior Conservative government launched an inquiry to understand how such abuses happened, but many of the recommendations from the 2022 report remain unacted upon.

In Germany, Musk has stated that the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), known for its anti-Islam stance and opposition to mass immigration, is the only party that can “save” the nation. He expressed that Germany is “on the verge of economic and cultural collapse” and that many Germans feel their concerns are being ignored by the political elite.

In Canada, Musk referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation on Monday, as an “insufferable fool” after Trudeau characterized Kamala Harris’ electoral defeat to Trump as a setback for women’s progress. Musk has openly praised Pierre Poilievre, a populist politician inspired by Trump, who has criticized government inefficiency and suggested that a carbon tax intended to combat climate change in Canada would result in “mass hunger and malnutrition.”

What is Musk aiming for?

Supporters of Musk argue that he is exposing truths that the media ignores.

He’s “bringing attention to the truth, questioning the accountability for this shocking failure, and probing why politicians are not answering to the public,” wrote Matt Goodwin, a right-wing British analyst focusing on populist movements, in a newsletter on Sunday about the grooming cases in northern England from years past.

Goodwin’s newsletter was titled, “Elon Musk isn’t the problem; legacy media is the real issue.”

Conversely, critics contend that Musk is replicating his behavior in the US, where he utilized his influence to help Trump get elected: endorsing extreme political figures like Robinson and delving into discussions where he might lack the depth or context. A critical independent report released in 2022 revealed that local law enforcement and officials repeatedly failed to act on opportunities to prevent the abuses in the grooming cases dating back to 2005.

“Elon Musk is an American citizen and should probably focus on issues back home,” remarked Andrew Gwynne, a minister in Starmer’s Labour Party, during a British radio show on Friday.

Gwynne added, “If Musk had genuinely followed events in this country, he would have noted that inquiries have already been conducted.”

Recently, Musk seems to have altered his stance on Nigel Farage, stating that the leader of the right-wing Reform UK “lacks the necessary leadership qualities” for the political party. Farage, a close ally of Trump, seems to have fallen out of favor with Musk because Farage doesn’t support Musk’s advocacy for Robinson, the imprisoned far-right figure.

What’s next for Musk on The Global Arena?

Elon Musk is preparing to host a live discussion on X with Alice Weidel, who is campaigning to be Germany’s chancellor in the snap election set for February 23. This conversation could take place as soon as this week.

Weidel heads the AfD party, currently under scrutiny by German authorities for its suspected extremist viewpoints. Its leaders have faced accusations of xenophobia and antisemitism, with the party running on an aggressive anti-immigration agenda. The AfD is polling at around 20% nationally, trailing the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which stands at 30%. The CDU is known for its center-right conservative stance.

Last year, Musk conducted a similar interview on X with Donald Trump during his campaign, which featured numerous questionable and inaccurate statements regarding climate change, immigration, and inflation that went largely unchallenged. That interview was plagued by technical issues and saw Trump criticize various legal issues he faces, with Musk showing no skepticism and at one point criticizing perceived “abuse of the legal system.”

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, have voiced their concerns regarding Musk’s posts on X.

“Who would have predicted a decade ago that the owner of one of the largest social media platforms would support a new international reactionary movement and directly engage in elections, particularly in Germany?” Macron remarked on Monday. Støre echoed this sentiment, expressing worry about Musk’s direct involvement in the internal matters of other nations due to his substantial social media presence and considerable economic resources.

Musk did not reply to inquiries made on his X platform regarding the backlash from European political figures about his comments.