Tucker Carlson and Putin vs Elon Musk and Alice Weidel: similarities

The X owner Elon Musk’s upcoming interview with Alice Weidel has striking parallels to the much-criticized interview with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin that Tucker Carlson conducted. Both events draw attention to the ability of powerful media personalities and platforms in magnifying harmful narratives and influencing public opinion.

Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin resulted in significant propaganda gains for the Kremlin. One of the most viewed personalities in American media, Carlson gave Putin a worldwide forum to present his story on issues including blaming NATO, justifying Russia’s war in Ukraine, and slamming Western democracies.

The interview legitimized Kremlin talking points by presenting Putin’s opinions without much evaluation, thereby redefining Russia’s aggression as defensive rather than a violation of international law and an illegal invasion of a sovereign Ukraine.

The outcome was beneficial for Moscow: Russian state media outlets hailed the interview as a victory, citing it as evidence that even Western media personalities shared Moscow’s perspective. Using Carlson’s influence in conservative and anti-establishment circles throughout the globe, the event also helped Russia present its story to more general viewers and to spread distrust in the Western democracies and governments.

Elon Musk and Alice Weidel: Boost for the Far Right in Europe

Though in a European setting, Elon Musk’s forthcoming live-streamed talk with Alice Weidel reflects this dynamic. Leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Weidel stands for a political movement that criticizes the EU, supports nationalist ideas, and fights immigration. Musk is giving the far-right a powerful microphone to spread its ideas ahead of Germany’s snap elections by bringing Weidel on his globally significant platform X (previously Twitter).

The consequences are really significant. By means of Weidel’s involvement in the interview, the AfD may avoid traditional media examination and present itself straight to voters as a credible and future-oriented political force.

Like Carlson’s interview with Putin, this event offers Weidel a chance to present far-right narratives in a more attractive way, hence increasing the appeal to moderate or undecided voters.

Both interviews highlight how potent media and technology leaders can be as gateways for divisive political ideas:

Legitimization of radical views: Carlson and Musk give legitimacy to leaders like Putin and Weidel by interacting personally with them, therefore indicating to viewers that these points of view deserve serious thought.

More general audience reach, since platforms like Musk’s X and Carlson’s media reach enable these stories to move beyond their typical origins and impact fresh audiences.

Whether from the Kremlin or Europe’s far-right, both events undercut trust in mainstream democratic institutions and prominent traditional media by elevating anti-establishment and divisive discourse.

Propaganda multiplication: even before it airs, pro-Russian and far-right outlets are already grabbing on the Musk-Weidel conversation to forward their agendas, much as Russian state media utilized the Carlson-Putin interview to promote Kremlin narratives abroad.

Read also: Musk-Weidel interview: a catalyst for mobilization of far-right voters and pro-Kremlin narratives

Potential Electoral Influence in Germany

The Musk-Weidel interview scheduling adds even more to its influence. The AfD looks to benefit greatly from the February elections swiftly approaching Germany. According to a recent study, many Germans think the interview will enhance the profile of the AfD, thereby improving its ratings in the weeks before the election.

This situation reflects how Carlson’s interview with Putin helped Russia’s position in international debate to be boosted. Musk’s support of Weidel and platforming of Weidel could similarly help the AfD, so changing the election scene to favor the far-right and so undermining Germany’s centrist and pro-EU political legacy.

Global Playbook for Enhanced Divisive Storytelling Amplification

Carlson’s interview with Putin and Musk’s interaction with Weidel expose a worldwide playbook for elevating controversial narratives and influencing political outcomes. In both cases, influential personalities and powerful media platforms provide radical or authoritarian leaders with unprecedented opportunities to reach wide audiences and sway public opinion.

As Germany prepares for its pivotal elections, the Musk-Weidel conversation will serve as a test case for how digital platforms, propaganda, and far-right politics cross to reshape the democratic landscape.