Why are Trump admin officials fuming over AfD's 'extremist' designation in Germany?

By Ivan Kesic

Germany’s far-right AfD party was labeled as “extremist” by the country’s intelligence agency earlier this month, but the designation was quickly put on hold following objections from the administration of US President Donald Trump, as well as criticism from Elon Musk.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a far-right and conservative political party in Germany that gained prominence in the country by criticizing immigration, particularly during the European migrant crisis a decade ago.

Known for its xenophobic rhetoric and virulent Islamophobia, the AfD frequently teeters on the edge of hate speech laws and has spent years as a marginal opposition party in Germany.

However, in February, the AfD experienced a dramatic shift in Germany's political landscape, surging to become the second-largest party in the Bundestag with 21 percent of the vote in the federal elections.

Why has Germany blacklisted the AfD?

The German domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), classified the AfD party as a "confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor" in early May 2025, based on a 1,100-page report.

The BfV found that AfD promotes an "ethnicity- and ancestry-based understanding of the people," which excludes groups, particularly Muslim immigrants, from equal societal participation.

This ethnic and ancestral nationalist stance is deemed incompatible with Germany's "free democratic order," as well as its well-known anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

AfD's platform emphasizes strict immigration controls, including "remigration" (mass deportation of foreigners and non-assimilated citizens), and portrays Islam as a "threat to German values."

The agency highlighted the far-right party's devaluation of entire population segments, stirring hostility toward migrants and Muslims in Germany.

Prominent AfD figures, like Björn Höcke, have trivialized Germany's Nazi past, calling the Holocaust Memorial a "monument of shame" and using banned Nazi slogans like "Everything for Germany."

Such historical revisionism and Nazi association actions suggest a rejection of Germany's post-WWII democratic consensus, which remains one of the biggest controversies in the country today.

The BfV concluded that AfD's policies and rhetoric aim to undermine Germany's liberal democratic principles, citing its anti-democratic tendencies and links to extremist groups, including neo-Nazis, as evidenced by a 2023 secret meeting discussing mass deportations.

Since 2021, AfD has been under federal surveillance as a "suspected extremist" group, and this classification was the first case for a parliamentary party in German history.

State-level BfV offices in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia had already classified AfD as extremist, and the national designation extended this scrutiny due to consistent radicalization.

Who was upset by the decision?

The blacklisting decision allows enhanced monitoring, including informants and communication intercepts. It doesn't ban AfD but fuels calls for such a step, though mainstream parties maintain a "firewall" against coalition with AfD.

Germany's Foreign Office defended the move, stating it protects democracy and reflects lessons from the Nazi era, while AfD leaders like Alice Weidel called it a politically motivated attack on democracy.

Three days after the blacklisting, the AfD filed a lawsuit challenging the decision, and on May 8, the extremist classification of AfD was temporarily suspended by the BfV.

The intelligence agency would not publicly refer to the AfD as a "confirmed right-wing extremist movement" until an official court judgement has been made.

The classification was also criticized by top US politicians of the Trump administration, like Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who termed it "tyranny in disguise."

"The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt — not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment," Vance wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

In February, Vance had met with AfD leader Alice Weidel in Munich following a speech at the Munich Security Conference in which he slammed Germany for failing to defend free speech.

Rubio called the AfD designation as a right-wing extremist group as "tyranny in disguise."

"Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition," the top American diplomat wrote on X. "That's not democracy — it's tyranny in disguise."

Moscow also joined Washington in criticizing the extremist classification of the AfD, due to the party's opposition to German military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Elon Musk's support for the AfD

Other prominent American figures who have come out openly in support of the German party include Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and owner of the X platform (formerly Twitter).

Musk has increasingly engaged with European far-right political parties, particularly since 2023, through public endorsements, social media activity, and interactions with their leaders, sparking controversy and accusations of foreign interference in European politics.

He has openly supported the AfD, declaring in December 2024 that "Only the AfD can save Germany," and doubled down with an op-ed in Welt am Sonntag, calling AfD the "last spark of hope" for Germany.

Musk also livestreamed a conversation with AfD leader Weidel on X in January 2025, praising her as "very reasonable" and urging German voters to support the party ahead of the February 23 elections.

At an AfD rally in Halle, Germany, Musk appeared virtually, criticizing Germany's focus on "past guilt" (referencing Nazi history) and advocating for "national pride."

His engagement with AfD supporter Naomi Seibt, a right-wing influencer, has amplified his exposure to AfD's narrative, with Musk interacting with her content over 40 times since June 2024.

Musk's support has boosted AfD's visibility, particularly among younger voters, but polls suggest it had a limited impact on their second-place finish in the 2025 German election, as mainstream parties refuse coalitions with AfD.

Musk's stand with the European far right

Outside of Germany, Musk has also supported Reform UK, a right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage, known for his pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Iranian stances.

In December 2024, Farage suggested Musk might donate to the party, prompting many British lawmakers to consider legislation against foreign election interference.

Musk consequently clashed with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing Britain of being a "tyrannical police state" and amplifying calls for a general election.

He also demanded the release of far-right activist, notorious Islamophobe, and Zionist apologist, Tommy Robinson, convicted for contempt of court.

Musk praised Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy, calling her a "precious genius" at a 2024 event in New York.

In 2024 at Mar-a-Lago, he met with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, aligning with his anti-immigration stance. He also agreed with the actions of Geert Wilders, a far-right anti-Islam politician.

In February 2025, he also expressed support for the Spanish far-right party Vox, predicting that it would win the upcoming elections.

Musk's mysterious motives

European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, have condemned Musk’s interventions as "completely unacceptable" and a "threat to democracy."

Musk’s support centers on nationalism, anti-immigration policies, and deregulation, aligning with far-right agendas. He has condemned Europe’s "layer cake of regulations" and framed migration as a threat to cultural cohesion.

While Musk's support for far-right parties is well-documented, the narrative around his intentions varies and includes a mix of personal ideology, business interests, and a desire for influence.

Some analysts suggest his motives may include reducing regulatory burdens on his businesses, like Tesla's factory in Germany, claiming he's holding personal grudges against European regulators.

While Musk's support for such European parties may be primarily business-motivated, the same can hardly be said for the administration of his close associate, Donald Trump.

According to numerous political commentators, pressure from the Trump administration was crucial in pausing the extremist label for the AfD.

International rightist-Zionist network

The real reason for the Trump administration's support for the far-right marginal German party lies in the fact that both are part of the same international informal political network.

This network was created in the 2010s at the initiative of Steve Bannon, the head of Trump's first presidential campaign, and chief political strategist and senior counselor following his election.

With the financial support of megadonor Sheldon Adelson, Bannon attempted to unite numerous far-right, conservative, and populist parties in Europe and around the world, generously donating to them and giving them media coverage.

These parties are easily recognizable by their extreme Zionism and unquestioning apologetics of the Israeli regime, congruent with the wishes of the main donors, which distinguishes them from earlier European right-wing parties that were much more critical.

They include the German AfD, Reform UK, Brothers of Italy, the Dutch Party for Freedom, the Spanish Vox, all of which Musk has expressed support for, as well as others.

Another distinguishing feature, although not overall, is support for the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), an anti-Iranian terrorist cult that Zionist donors have promoted in recent years as an alternative to the Islamic Republic.

Musk, a former supporter of Democratic politicians, joined this rightist-Zionist network in September 2023, when he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in California.

Since then, there has been a noticeable shift in his attitudes, especially support for Trump, the Republican Party, the Israeli regime, Zionism, and their European proxies.

Considering his previous criticisms of Trump and the Israeli regime, as well as his enormous personal wealth, the motives for this decision are not ideological and financial.

Certain motives may lie in technological cooperation with Israeli companies that already provide services to his X platform, but they are certainly not decisive.

The main motive is in providing political influence, more precisely in appointing Musk as a senior advisor to US President Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

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