Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX CEO has come under great criticism for his armed gesture during a speech at President Trump’s inaugural event.
The billionaire, a known Donald Trump ally and a vocal opponent of what he considers to be “woke” politics, was extremely overjoyed with the victory of his fellow billionaire Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th president of the U.S. after his victory against Kamala Harris at the November presidential elections.
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Musk’s one-armed salute he performed while acknowledging the crowd at President Donald Trump’s inauguration has stirred controversy regarding the gesture’s intended meaning.
The gesture was considered by many as a Nazi salute made popular by Adolf Hitler, the Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until he died in 1945 and was central to the perpetration of the Holocaust. The genocide of about six million Jews and millions of other victims has been deemed illegal in some countries, like Germany.
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However, the tech billionaire has had some section of the public defend him, saying it was just an armed gesture and nothing more. Among such defenders are some Jewish groups, the main people to have suffered during Hitler’s rule.
Despite the defense, not everyone seems to be convinced, as many took to social media to share their disappointment. A New York University history professor wrote on X, “Historian of fascism, that was a Nazi salute—and a very belligerent one too.”
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Musk accused Democrats of politicizing the issue on X, dismissing the scrutiny. He satirically wrote, “They need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ tactic is played out.”
In addition to him pushing back, others concurred, stating that the entire situation was being exaggerated.
A prominent Jewish rights group, Anti-Defamation League, posted on X,
“Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety.”
“It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm—not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the group added. “In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.”
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In 2023, Musk apologized after he was lambasted for agreeing with a social media user who falsely claimed Jewish people stoked hatred against White people.
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart weighed in on the back and forth, suggesting that “s— got weird” during the inauguration.
“I’m just going to be generous and say maybe that was Elon’s attempt at… dabbing on the haters?” he joked.
Although the one-armed salute has been used for the Pledge of Allegiance and at the Olympics, the rise of the Nazis has made it unpopular and illegal in some countries.
