Billionaire Elon Musk caused a stir on Monday (January 20, 2025) with a gesture at an event celebrating the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, with some interpreting it as a “Nazi” or “fascist” salute.
The CEO of X, SpaceX, and Tesla appeared on stage at the Capital One Arena in Washington, where supporters of the newly sworn-in president had gathered for a rally.
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After expressing gratitude to the crowd for re-electing the 78-year-old Republican to the White House, Musk touched the left side of his chest with his right hand and then extended his arm with an open palm, repeating the gesture for the audience seated behind him.
Musk’s Nazi salute
Claire Aubin, a historian specializing in Nazism in the United States, concurred that Musk’s gesture resembled a “sieg heil,” or Nazi salute.
“In my professional opinion, you are correct to believe your eyes,” Aubin stated, aligning with those who viewed the gesture as a clear reference to Nazis.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian of fascism, also identified the gesture as “a Nazi salute — and a very aggressive one at that,” she commented on X.
Members of the Democratic Party swiftly voiced their concerns.
Congressman Jimmy Gomez reacted to the moment by posting on X: “Well, that didn’t take long.”
Musk, who has been active on his social network X since the incident, has not yet responded to the controversy.
An attendee at the rally told AFP that he believed Musk’s gesture was meant as a joke.
“He has a very humorous personality and uses a lot of sarcasm. So when he did that on stage, I don’t think he meant it seriously,” said Brandon Galambos, a 29-year-old pastor and tech worker.
Reports from Wired and Rolling Stone magazines indicated that far-right figures in the United States were praising the gesture, with writer Evan Kilgore calling the salute “incredible.”
Musk’s support for right-wing parties
In recent weeks, Musk has made public statements in support of Germany’s far-right AfD party and the British anti-immigration party Reform UK.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism that has previously criticized Musk, defended his actions this time.
“It appears that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,” the organization stated on X.
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the ADL’s response, stating on X: “Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.”
Another historian, Aaron Astor, rejected claims of Musk’s Nazi sympathies.
“I have criticized Elon Musk many times for allowing neo-Nazis to spread hate on this platform,” he wrote on X, adding: “But this gesture is not a Nazi salute.”
“This is a socially awkward gesture from an autistic man, conveying ‘my heart goes out to you’ to the crowd.”
In 2021, Musk disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
Published – January 21, 2025 07:28 am IST
