Elon Musk recently found himself at the center of a controversy after being accused of making a ‘Nazi gesture’ during the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump as President.
The 53-year-old tech mogul was among the prominent figures present in Washington on January 20th to support the newly elected President Trump. As Trump, aged 78, took the oath of office, he laid out his vision for the future in a 30-minute address.
However, Musk’s appearance was overshadowed by accusations that he made a ‘Nazi salute’ during the inauguration parade, which sparked a flurry of discussions.
While on stage, Elon Musk expressed his excitement about the future prospects, such as plans to plant an American flag on Mars. He thanked the supporters for helping President Trump take office, and in his enthusiasm, pounded his fists on his chest before raising his hand skyward at an angle.
Musk then turned to face the U.S. flag and repeated the motion, causing further debate among those watching the event.
Addressing the crowd, he stated, “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.”
CNN’s Erin Burnett commented, “Standing ovation for Elon Musk. The biggest reception of the day. However, we saw an unusual-looking salute.” Kasie Hunt, her co-anchor, mentioned that it was reminiscent of historical gestures, suggesting it was atypical for American rallies.
People quickly took to X, Musk’s own platform, to share their reactions. One viewer posted, “Elon Musk just did a Nazi salute on national tv,” while another could not believe the gesture happened at Trump’s inauguration.
The Anti-Defamation League describes a Nazi salute as ‘raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down.’
On social media in May 2022, Musk shared his past voting habits, saying he historically voted Democrat, viewing them as the ‘kindness party.’
The incident was labeled a hoax by some X users who believed it to be another tactic in a ‘dirty tricks campaign.’
Musk responded to these accusations with a touch of humor, referencing the repetitiveness of being called a Nazi: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.” When an X user requested to put an end to such name-calling, Musk agreed, responding with “Yeah exactly 🥱.”
