Elon Musk gives Nazi salute: Fans defend Elon Musk, say 'it wasn't a Nazi salute

The Nazi salute is described as "raising the right arm with the palm downward" by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that fights antisemitism

After repeatedly performing what many saw as a fascist-style salute at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, Elon Musk himself embroiled in controversy on Monday. Speaking to Trump supporters at Washington's Capital One Arena, the owner of SpaceX, X, and Tesla—who is also the richest man in the world and a significant advisor and fundraiser to Trump—said, "I just want to thank you for making this possible."

After slapping his right hand across his chest with extended fingers, Musk raised his right arm diagonally upward with palm down and fingers together.

The Nazi salute is described as "raising the right arm with the palm downward" by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that fights antisemitism.

Musk turned and gave the salute again, this time with his hand and arm a little lower as the audience started to applaud.

Musk pounded his chest once more and remarked, "My heart hurts for you." "The future of society is safe because of you. Thank you. At long last, we will have safe cities. Protect the frontiers. prudent expenditure. fundamentals. 'Doge' will be taken to Mars as well.

This joke made reference to Trump's inaugural speech comments regarding the deployment of American astronauts to Mars, as well as the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency," a federal cost-cutting project for which Musk had been chosen.

Musk asked his listeners to picture American astronauts raising a flag on a different planet, imitating the gesture, and exclaiming, "Bam! Bam!" Since the inauguration procession had to be moved indoors due to the cold, he was speaking before Trump reached the arena. Executive orders were also signed onstage.

People on social media were shocked by Musk's gesture. “This is a historian of fascism speaking: That was a Nazi salute, and it was very offensive,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University. Musk supported memes that attempted to make the video humorous while reposting video of his actions, including the second salute, without immediately commenting.

Musk turned and gave the salute again, this time with his hand and arm a little lower as the audience started to applaud

"Can we please stop calling everyone Nazis?" wrote one X user. In response, Musk added a yawning emoji and said, "Yes, absolutely."

However, Musk's movements were characterized as a "Roman salute, a fascist salute commonly associated with Nazi Germany" by the Israeli publication **Haaretz**. In the meantime, the ADL clarified that chants of "Heil Hitler" or "Sieg Heil" frequently accompanied the Nazi salute in Germany from 1933 until 1945. The salute is one of the most widely used white nationalist hand gestures in the world, having been used by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists since World War II

"This is a delicate moment," the ADL said in a social media post later on Monday. Even though it's a new day, a lot of folks are nervous. Social media only serves to exacerbate the polarization of our politics. We recognize that people are sensitive, but it seems like Elon Musk did a strange gesture out of excitement that wasn't a Nazi salute. At this point, everyone involved should give one another some leeway, possibly even the benefit of the doubt, and take a break. This is a fresh start. Let's strive for togetherness and hope for healing in the upcoming months.

The ADL's answer was condemned by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democratic representative from New York, who stated: "Just to be clear, you're defending a Heil Hitler salute that was emphasized and repeated for clarity." Officially, people can no longer trust you as a reliable information source. I appreciate you clarifying that for everyone. Ocasio-Cortez has reached "Stage 5 [Trump Derangement Syndrome]—completely unhinged," according to Musk's response to her remarks.

Trump has frequently been charged with white supremacist views and even likened to Hitler. This was most prominently done by Trump's vice president, J.D. Vance, before Vance switched to Republican politics and altered his mind.

Musk's affiliation with and backing of the worldwide far-right is still debatable. He spoke with Alice Weidel, a leader of the far-right German party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), on X earlier this month. Weidel maintained that Hitler "was not a libertarian or conservative; he was a socialist and a communist, and we are the opposite."

Musk concurred -Regardless of Musk's intentions, several well-known far-right social media users praised his actions onstage in Washington on Monday. The neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe's leader, Christopher Pohlhaus, posted on Telegram, "I don't care if it was a mistake," according to **Rolling Stone**. I will take pleasure in crying over it. "Incredible things are already happening," wrote Andrew Torba, the creator of the far-right social media site Gab.