Elon Musk has addressed allegations that he saluted in the “Nazi-style” during Donald Trump’s inauguration.
As power formally changed hands, the 53-year-old Tesla tycoon joined a long list of lawmakers and celebrities in Washington on Monday, January 20, to express their support for the new president.
After taking the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States, Trump delivered a stirring speech outlining his leadership goals, which sparked a viral response from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
However, Musk’s wonderful day was ruined by controversy as he made a number of statements that many have called “fascist.”
The Space X CEO then seemed to make other odd gestures, in addition to the one he made after Trump reaffirmed his promise to send US astronauts to Mars.
Viewers of the inauguration say the billionaire did a “Nazi salute” during his address, putting him in hot trouble.
Musk was spotted talking enthusiastically about the possibility of raising an American flag on Mars as he was on stage at the Capitol One Arena.
He then praised the audience for “making it happen” and thanked them for helping ensure Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Musk then seemed to pound his chest before raising his right arm sharply toward the sky.
The businessman then turned away from the crowd and made the same motion, but this time it was in the direction of a US flag that was hanging over the stage.
“My heart goes out to you,” Musk then told supporters. “It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured.”
During live coverage of the event, CNN anchor Erin Burnett was heard saying: “Standing ovation for Elon Musk. By far the biggest reception of the day. You saw him come out with that odd-looking salute.”
According to the Independent, her coworker Kasie Hunt also noted that the gesture “was evocative of things that we have seen through history” and “not something you typically see at American rallies.”
Musk’s activities also sparked a lot of discussion on social media, notably on X, his own platform.
The gesture has been compared to a Nazi salute by many.
One person said in a post on X: “Elon Musk just did a Nazi salute on national television.”
Another wrote, “WTF?? What did Elon Musk just do??”
Another stated: “THERE’S NO WAY ELON MUSK DID A SIEG HEIL AT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION.”
And a fourth commented: “Even if you’re a Elon Musk dkrider, you have to acknowledge that this dude LITERALLY just did a Nazi salute. What the fk????”
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), ‘raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down’ is the definition of a Nazi salute.
What has Elon Musk said about the gesture?
Following a flurry of social media criticism, Musk has now addressed the issue.
Today (January 21), he replied to a user who posted a screenshot of one of his previous tweets on his platform X.
In May 2022, Musk shared a tweet saying, “In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party.”
“But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold.
Alongside the screenshot, the social media user wrote: “The salute hoax is just another part of the ‘dirty tricks campaign’.”
Quoting the post, Musk wrote: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
Another user asked to ‘retire the calling people a Nazi thing’, to which Musk responded: “Yeah exactly,” alongside a yawning emoji.
