Elon Musk Calls German Chancellor Scholz a “Fool” After Coalition Crisis

Berlin, November 8, 2024 — German officials have brushed off comments from Elon Musk, who called Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool” on his social media platform X.

Musk made the remark on Thursday in a tweet about the collapse of Scholz’s government, writing in German, “Olaf ist ein Narr” (“Olaf is a fool”).

Government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann responded playfully, saying that on X, people have “Narrenfreiheit,” which means the freedom to act foolishly, similar to the tradition of carnival revelers who can behave without rules. She was referring to a German custom where people are allowed to mock those in power during certain times of the year.

When asked about Musk’s comment, Scholz said it was “not very friendly” but added that he didn’t pay much attention to what was said by internet companies, which, he noted, are not government bodies.

Musk, known for his outspoken support of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has had previous disagreements with German officials, including controversial comments about migrant rescue missions and expressing sympathy for Germany’s far-right AfD party.

Despite the heated remarks, the German government has responded lightly, showing little concern over Musk’s criticism.