The publicity was a potential boon for AfD, which has been frozen out of mainstream politics, in part, because its leaders have downplayed Nazi atrocities.

Musk tested the boundaries of foreign election interference, hosting AfD co-leader Alice Weidel for a livestream interview on X.

God! Martians! A “communist” Hitler! It was heavy on oddness and light on policy as the X owner and the AfD co-leader hit it off.