Elon Musk sparked speculation and much online debate when he made a hand gesture twice during a speech honoring President Trump on Monday (20).
Speaking at a celebratory rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington hours after Trump was inaugurated, Musk thanked the crowd for choosing Trump.
Musk, who leads Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, and who supported Trump last year during his presidential campaign, added: “I just want to say thank you for making this happen — thank you.”
The billionaire then placed his hand on his heart before extending his arm above his head with his palm facing down. After he turned around, he repeated the movement for those behind him.
The gesture quickly drew online comparisons to the salute popularized by Adolf Hitler, and others interpreted it as a Roman salute, which is also known as the “fascist salute” and was later adopted by the Nazis. The Nazi variation of the gesture is illegal in some European countries, including Germany.
Masha Pearl, director of a foundation that supports Holocaust survivors, said she was “deeply disturbed” by Musk’s action, which she called a “Nazi salute.”
She added: “Elon Musk has engaged with antisemitic incidents in the past. Therefore, it was an unmistakable symbol of hatred, violence, and genocide.”
Others celebrated Musk’s movement. Andrew Torba, the founder of the far-right social network Gab, shared a photograph on his platform of the billionaire making the gesture, adding the caption, “Incredible things are already happening.”
Sources: The New York Times