Right Hand Suddenly Stretched Over Chest... Musk Sparks 'Nazi Salute' Controversy on Trump's Inauguration Day

CNN, The New York Times, and The Guardian Raise Questions

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and considered a key figure in Donald Trump's second administration, sparked controversy by making a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute at an inauguration celebration.

CNN, The New York Times (NYT), and the British Guardian raised questions on the 20th (local time) about Musk's gesture, asking, "Isn't this a fascist salute?" The Israeli daily Haaretz also pointed out that "(Musk) performed the Roman salute, the fascist salute most commonly associated with Nazi Germany."

Elon Musk's gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute. Washington Reuters Yonhap News

At the inauguration celebration held at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Musk told Trump supporters, "I want to thank you for making this happen (Trump's election)." Musk expressed gratitude to the cheering Trump supporters by touching his left chest with his right hand, then clasping his hands and raising his arm diagonally upward to the right. He then turned around and performed the gesture once more to the supporters behind him. He added, "My heart goes out to you."

In response, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which campaigns against anti-Semitism in the United States, issued a statement saying that Musk appeared to make an awkward gesture in a moment of passion rather than a Nazi salute. The gesture of touching the left chest with the right hand, then clasping the hands and raising the arm diagonally upward to the right, sparked controversy. According to the ADL, the Nazi salute is defined as raising the right arm with the palm facing downward.

Social media users expressed shock at Musk's Nazi-like gesture. Eric Feigl-Ding, a public health expert known during the COVID-19 pandemic, wrote, "Oh my god. Musk just did a Nazi salute live on TV." The Israeli daily Haaretz also pointed out, "Musk performed the Roman salute, the fascist salute most commonly associated with Nazi Germany."

On the other hand, far-right social media users welcomed Musk's Nazi-like salute. Christopher Paulhaus of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribun said on Telegram that it "doesn't matter if it was a mistake" and that he would "enjoy it." Andrew Torba, founder of the far-right SNS platform Gab, wrote, "Amazing things are already happening."