VP-Elect JD Vance Faces Backlash Over Defense of Elon Musk’s Pro-AfD Op-Ed Amid Neo-Nazi Controversy
Senator JD Vance (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/ via JTA)
Vice President-elect JD Vance, the Republican Senator from Ohio, has sparked intense criticism both in the U.S. and abroad after endorsing and seemingly defending an op-ed by Elon Musk that supports the far-right German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been linked to neo-Nazi groups.
The New York Times reported late last month that AfD has ties to neo-Nazis, with its youth wing classified as “confirmed extremist” by Germany’s domestic intelligence. The paper also noted that AfD has been labeled a threat to German democracy by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and others.
The Times highlighted that AfD members attended a secret meeting with Martin Sellner, an extreme-right provocateur with neo-Nazi affiliations and that the party had been fined for using Nazi-era slogans during campaigns.
On Thursday, Vance reposted a translated thread of what is allegedly Musk’s op-ed titled “Only the AfD Can Save Germany.” Vance clarified his position, stating, “I’m not endorsing a party in the German elections, as it’s not my country and we hope to have good relations with all Germans.
But this is an interesting piece. Also interesting; American media slanders AfD as Nazi-lite, But AfD is most popular in the same areas of Germany that were most resistant to the Nazis.”
His comments were quickly met with backlash, as many pointed out flaws in his geographic argument. Some criticized his claim that AfD’s popularity in areas of Germany once resistant to Nazism was significant, suggesting Vance overlooked the complexities of post-World War II Germany’s reunification in 1990.
Critics noted that parts of former East Germany, where AfD is most popular, also had historical ties to the Nazi regime. The Economist, in 2019, also reported on the overlap between areas supporting the AfD and those that had supported the Nazis in 1933.
Vance’s assertion about geography was further debunked by Germany’s Ambassador to the U.S., Andreas Michaelis, who wrote, “Interesting observation, Senator JD Vance…Germany’s history reminds us how important it is to challenge extremism in all its forms.”
Cathy Young, a writer for The Bulwark, sharply criticized Vance for what she saw as a distortion of historical facts, comparing his argument to Soviet-era propaganda. Berlin-based journalist James Jackson also refuted Vance’s claims with a cartographic analysis.
Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) condemned AfD’s actions, saying the party’s rhetoric and actions aimed to rehabilitate the Nazi movement, with one leader even using a license plate that paid tribute to Hitler.
Interesting observation, Senator JD Vance. Historical context can be tricky – while some areas you are referring to resisted the Nazi party early on, others did not, or later became strongholds of the regime. Germany’s history reminds us how important it is to challenge extremism in all its forms.
— Andreas Michaelis (@germanambusa.bsky.social) January 3, 2025 at 1:48 AM
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