Elon Musk has addressed claims that he made a controversial “Nazi-style” salute during Donald Trump’s recent inauguration.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO attended the event in Washington, D.C., on January 20, alongside lawmakers and celebrities, to support Trump’s second term as the 47th president of the United States.
The Alleged Gesture
After Trump’s speech, which included a pledge to send American astronauts to Mars, Musk made a series of enthusiastic gestures on stage.
Viewers noticed him raising his right arm sharply toward the sky and later toward a U.S. flag. These movements led some to compare his actions to a Nazi salute.
Social media exploded with reactions. Many users accused Musk of mimicking the infamous gesture, with comments like:
- “Elon Musk just did a Nazi salute on national television.”
- “WTF?? What did Elon Musk just do??”
- “There’s no way Elon Musk did a Sieg Heil at Trump’s inauguration.”
Even CNN anchors commented on the gesture during their live coverage.
Erin Burnett remarked that Musk received the loudest applause of the day but called his salute “odd-looking.”
Her co-anchor, Kasie Hunt, said the movement was “evocative of things we’ve seen in history” and unusual for an American event.
Musk’s Response
The backlash prompted Musk to address the issue on social media.
On January 21, he responded to a user who called the controversy part of a “dirty tricks campaign” against him.
The user shared a screenshot of a 2022 tweet from Musk where he explained his shift from voting Democrat to Republican, predicting political attacks would follow.
Quoting the post, Musk wrote:
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
Another user urged people to stop labeling others as Nazis, to which Musk replied:
“Yeah exactly,” adding a yawning emoji.
What Experts Say
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Nazi salute involves raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down.
While Musk’s gestures were noted as unusual, there is no definitive evidence to suggest any malicious intent.
For now, Musk appears unfazed by the criticism, brushing it off as part of ongoing attacks from his detractors.