Key things to know about how Elon Musk has boosted hard-right figures in Europe

Source: Associated Press

Key things to know about how Elon Musk has boosted hard-right figures in Europe

By ERIKA KINETZ and AARON KESSLER
Updated 12:08 AM EDT, August 1, 2025

ROME (AP) — Elon Musk may have tumbled from political grace in Washington, D.C., but as he seeks to build a new political party, his power on X — where he commands the most popular account — remains unchecked.

Musk is a kingmaker on the platform he acquired in 2022 for $44 billion. He has used his influence to cultivate hard-right politicians and insurgent activists across Europe. A retweet or reply from Musk can lead to millions of views and tens of thousands of new followers, according to an Associated Press analysis of public data.

That fact has not been lost on influencers who have tagged Musk persistently, seeking a reply or a retweet. It has also fueled concerns in Europe about foreign meddling -- not from Russia or China, but from the United States.

“Every alarm bell needs to ring,” Christel Schaldemose, a vice president of the European Parliament who works on electoral interference and digital regulation, told AP.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/musk-europe-politics-influencers-x-twitter-f11463f853af6e152e1972c90131e43d