section_path: Foreign interference/United States and Russia
section_name: United States and Russia
paragraph_text: United States and Russia
  
  United States businessman and government official Elon Musk repeatedly posted in favor of the AfD on his platform X. He also endorsed AfD in an op-ed published in Welt am Sonntag. This was indirectly criticized by President Steinmeier and directly by the CDU, Greens, SPD, FDP, Left, the German Journalists Association and other German media as unacceptable external influence. Similarly, United States Vice President JD Vance met with AfD leadership and criticized other German parties for refusing to cooperate with the party. Both Scholz and Merz rebuked Vance for his comments.
  
  German security authorities also expected interference in the federal election campaign from abroad. The focus was on officially controlled disinformation campaigns from Russia, to whom Musk is alleged to be connected. The European Digital Media Observatory at the European University Institute cites an investigation from German outlet Correctiv that found over 100 websites had been established with the help of artificial intelligence to spread disinformation regarding electoral candidates.