X owner Elon Musk generated controversy hours after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the nation’s 47th president with a gesture made during a speech that drew immediate comparisons to a fascist salute.
“Some elections are important, some are not, but this one really mattered. And I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you,” Musk said while speaking at a podium bedecked with the Presidential seal at post-inauguration event held at Washington, D.C.’s Capitol One Arena on Monday.
Musk then put his hand over his heart before jerking his arm out, straight and stiff with his palm down in a manner that resembled a Nazi or Roman military salute. He turned around to look at the crowd behind him and did the same movement again before saying, “My heart goes out to you.”
CNN, Politico, PBS NewsHour and numerous overseas newspapers reported on the gesture and quickly questioned whether it was intentionally a fascist salute. A lawyer for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, weighed in via X with a note of caution, asserting that Musk’s move appeared to be “an awkward gesture but not a Nazi salute.”
“It seems that [Elon Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” wrote the ADL on X. “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.”
Discussion of the incident quickly went viral on X and other social media platforms. Many expressed outrage while others countered that Musk was being targeted by critics and did not intend to invoke fascism. Musk has yet to comment directly on the controversy but he did respond to the ADL’s X post three hours later with “Thanks guys” followed by an emoji symbol indicating joy.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a liberal Democrat from New York, took to X, where she has 12.8 million followers, to criticize the ADL. She asserted that there was no question about Musk’s intent.
“Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, has been a staunch supporter of Trump, contributing at least $250 million to his 2024 election effort. He was highly visible during Trump’s swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol earlier in the day.
Trump has appointed Musk to lead an effort to streamline and shrink the size of the federal government, an initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency. That decision also stirred controversy given that the acronym DOGE reflects a form of crypto currency that Musk has both touted and criticized over the past few years.