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Billionaire Elon Musk<\/strong> delved into German politics on Friday by sharing a post that denounced the country\u2019s handling of migrants and giving kudos to the nation\u2019s far-right party, Alternative for Germany.<\/p>\n Video clips on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, appear to show German non-government organizations rescuing migrants crossing the Mediterranean and bringing them to Italy. Musk responded<\/a> to a video of the rescues, posted by an account called \u201cRadioGenoa,\u201d asking, \u201cIs the German public aware of this?\u201d<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s Foreign Office wasted no time in responding to Musk\u2019s comment. \u201cYes. And it\u2019s called saving lives,\u201d wrote the office\u2019s account on X.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re actually proud of it. Interesting,\u201d Musk replied, before expressing doubt that the German public supports migrant rescue. The video had \u201cinvasion vibes,\u201d he added, invoking a characterization of immigration that has long existed<\/a> in white nationalist circles.<\/p>\n The source of the controversy\u2014and Musk\u2019s latest foray into international politics\u2014is a German plan to finance charities aiding migrants crossing the Mediterranean, which its foreign ministry has called<\/a> a \u201clegal, humanitarian and moral duty.\u201d It is unclear whether the clip Musk responded to is of a charity financed by the German government.<\/p>\n The plan drew criticism from Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni,<\/strong> leader of the country\u2019s post-fascist Fratelli d\u2019Italia party, whose tenure has been marked by anti-migrant rhetoric and policy. Early last week, Meloni wrote<\/a> to German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz<\/strong> to express her \u201castonishment\u201d that the German government was funding nonprofit rescue operations. Musk met with Meloni in Rome in June during a tour of Europe.<\/p>\n This year, more than 2,500 people have died or gone missing during the perilous cross from northern Africa to southern Europe, a steep rise from last year. Over 200,000 people have applied for asylum in Germany so far this year, an increase<\/a> of 77 percent from 2022.<\/p>\n Musk\u2019s comments came a day after he visited the Texas border to meet with local politicians and law enforcement at Eagle Pass, which has seen a sharp increase in unauthorized border crossings.<\/p>\n \u201cThe (USA) border needs to be secured. This is not a partisan issue \u2013 even the elected Democrat Party leaders of New York are saying this is a severe crisis,\u201d Musk wrote<\/a> on Wednesday, referencing New York City Mayor Eric Adams<\/strong>, who said recently<\/a> that the migrant crisis \u201cwill destroy\u201d the city.<\/p>\n Musk\u2019s Tesla operates<\/a> factories in both Germany and Texas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n