Elon Musk, nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, criticised the “suicidal empathy” of the German government in response to the deadly Christmas market attack.
Musk condemned the German government following a car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg on the night of December 20, questioning German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ability to lead Germany amidst a series of extremist incidents.
The attack, which resulted in at least five deaths and nearly 70 injuries, involved a Saudi Arabian doctor who drove his BMW into a crowd during the busy Christmas season. Officials confirmed that the attacker, who has been living in Germany since 2006, was a 50-year-old doctor, but they withheld further details.
The doctor is in police custody after driving his black BMW SUV at high speed for 400 meters through the crowded market, hitting and flinging people into the air. Among the victims was a nine-year-old girl. Forty-one others are in critical condition, and the injured are being treated in 15 hospitals across Germany.
Forensic experts are investigating the possibility that Abdulmohsen intentionally disabled the BMW’s emergency braking system to maximise the damage during the attack. Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Fraser, reported that he held “Islamophobic” views.
Scholz condemned the attack as “terrible and insane,” but Musk sharply criticised him, accusing the Chancellor of ignoring repeated warnings. Musk called Scholz an “incompetent fool” and demanded his resignation, continuing his criticism of the German government's refusal to extradite the suspect to Saudi Arabia due to human rights concerns.
“Obviously, he was a lunatic who should never have been allowed to enter Germany and should have been extradited when Saudi Arabia requested it. This is suicidal empathy by the German government,” Musk posted.
In response to reports that Abdulmohsen had been granted asylum in Germany despite being a Saudi fugitive, Musk argued that whoever blocked his extradition deserved severe punishment. “This guy is an unhinged psychopath who should never have been allowed into Germany,” Musk said. “He should have been extradited when Saudi Arabia made the request.”
Musk also stirred controversy by calling the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) the country's “saviour,” a statement that many viewed as interference in German politics. Despite polling at second place, the AfD is unlikely to form a coalition with the mainstream parties, which remain center-right or center-left.
The German government acknowledged Musk’s comments but did not offer any official response.