 "Elon Musk appears to give fascist-style salute after Trump inauguration. Reuters")
Tesla CEO Elon Musk fell into a pit of controversy on Monday when he performed a back-to-back fascist-style salute. The billionaire appeared to make a Heil Hitler during the inauguration parade of new US President Donald Trump. “I just want to say thank you for making it happen,” the richest person on earth and a major Trump donor and adviser, told the American commander-in-chief at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.
Musk then went on to slap his right hand to his chest, before shooting out his right arm in an upwards diagonal position with his hands facing downwards. The crowd attending the event roared as Musk turned and saluted again, making many wonder if he intentionally gave a “Nazi Salute”.
It is pertinent to note that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which campaigns against antisemitism, defines the Nazi salute as “raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down”. “My heart goes out to you,” Musk said, striking himself on the chest again. “It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you. We’re gonna have safe cities, finally safe cities. Secure borders, sensible spending. Basic stuff. And we’re gonna take ‘Doge’ to Mars.”
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The SpaceX CEO was delivering an address before Trump’s scheduled appearance at the arena, for the inaugural parade. According to The Guardian, the POTUS was expected to sign executive orders onstage. Soon after his speech, Musk received major backlash on social media for his gesture.
When Trump was last in office, Eric Feigl-Ding, a public health expert who rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, wrote: “My God … Musk just did the N[a]zi salute live on TV.” In the past, Trump has been accused of supporting white supremacists and has been often compared to the German dictator Adolf Hitler.
Musk’s gesture came months after he expressed his support to several controversial far-right parties in Europe. Last week, the billionaire hosted Alice Weidel, leader of Alternative für Deutschland, a far-right German party, for a conversation on X. In the past, Weidel argued that Hitler “wasn’t a conservative, he wasn’t a libertarian, he was a communist, socialist guy, and we are the opposite," Musk agreed with the German politician’s assertion.