The Daily Populous Saturday May 3rd, 2025 morning edition
Authored by thedailybeast.com and submitted by Aggravating_Money992

Secretary of State Marco Rubio threw a temper tantrum after a German domestic intelligence agency had the audacity to classify a far-right organization as “extremist.”

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency labeled the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “proven right-wing extremist organization.” The party’s platform is based on anti-immigrant ideology. Several AfD leaders have repeated Nazi slogans and threatened to deport German citizens of non-ethnic-German heritage.

But Rubio slammed the agency’s decision on X and urged the country to “reverse course.”

Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise.

What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies… — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 2, 2025

“Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition,” he said. “That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise."

He added: “What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes."

Tech billionaire Elon Musk waves and speaks live via a video transmission during a speech by Alice Weidel during a rally with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party. Sean Gallup/Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The decision was announced on Friday by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which gives German authorities increased oversight over AfD. This is the first time in modern German history that a party with nationwide representation on the federal level has been labelled extremist.

The party won a record 152 parliamentary seats in the February federal elections and took over 20 percent of the vote.

President Donald Trump and his inner circle have been vocal about their support. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel was invited to Trump’s inauguration and Elon Musk spoke at an AfD election campaign event in January.

Musk said that banning the “centrist AfD” would be an “extreme attack on democracy.”

Musk, who went viral for making a gesture on Inauguration Day that resembled a Nazi salute, posted in December “only the AfD can save Germany.”

Elon Musk gestures in a move that looks like a Nazi salute as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, DC. ANGELA WEISS/Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

In February, Vice President J.D. Vance denounced European leaders for isolating far-right parties. On Friday, he reshared Rubio’s X post and added some commentary of his own.

“The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany,” Vance wrote. “Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it.”

He added: The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt—not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment."

The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it.

The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt—not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment. https://t.co/Un6suHtSNJ — JD Vance (@JDVance) May 2, 2025

The German agency that classified AfD as extremist spent three years investigating the party and released a 1,000-page report that confirmed the party’s violations of core constitutional principles.

AfD leaders have trivialized the Holocaust, revived Nazi slogans, and condemned foreigners. A quarter of the electorate currently supports the party, although German lawmakers have considered banning the party altogether.

Weidel has denigrated Muslims for being “headscarf-wearing girls” and “knife-wielding men on welfare.”

Alice Weidel of the AfD has garnered support from President Donald Trump. Pool/Getty Images

Previous party leader Alexander Gauland described the Holocaust as a “speck of bird poop” on years of successful German history.

Another AfD member said that the elite guard of the Nazi regime S.S., who ran concentration camps, were not criminals.

Rubio’s agreement came to light immediately after the country’s decision.

“Germany should reverse course,” he posted.

CouchCorrespondent on May 3rd, 2025 at 01:51 UTC »

If someone said I was a fascist, I wouldn't be angry....

....because I'm not a fascist.

Professional-Buy2970 on May 3rd, 2025 at 01:45 UTC »

"Fascism mad that German democracy isn't as weak as Goebbels made fun of it for being"

StoppableHulk on May 3rd, 2025 at 01:29 UTC »

I am so tired of living in a world where we have to watch people's mental illness unfold publicly every day.