Nazi salute or act of kindness?: Social media swirls at Musk's hand gesture

Online users were quick to accuse Trump confidant of giving a Nazi salute during his talk in the inauguration while others attributed it to his mental condition

Daniela Ginzburg|
U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday featured moments that’ll be remembered for years, from Trump’s controversial statement to awkward moments involving his high-profile guests among them Elon Musk making a hand gesture resembling the infamous Nazi salute.
The owner of SpaceX, Tesla and the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), considered one of Trump’s closest allies, took the stage during the inauguration. At the end of his speech, Musk was filmed raising his right hand toward the crowd.
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אילון מאסק חגיגות אחרי טקס ההשבעה של דונלד טראמפ
אילון מאסק חגיגות אחרי טקס ההשבעה של דונלד טראמפ
Elon Musk's questionable hand gesture during his speach on Monday
(Photo: Mike Segar / Reuters )
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אילון מאסק חגיגות אחרי טקס ההשבעה של דונלד טראמפ
אילון מאסק חגיגות אחרי טקס ההשבעה של דונלד טראמפ
Elon Musk's celebrates Trump inauguration on Monday
(Photo: Mike Segar / Reuters )
The gesture drew widespread outrage, with many accusing Musk of fascism and antisemitism. Some claimed, “Now we’re seeing the real Musk.” His supporters offered various defenses, ranging from “He meant to do a Roman salute” to “He has Asperger’s and couldn’t control his emotions.”
Others suggested it was an innocent gesture driven by excitement, linked to Musk’s closing remark: “My heart goes out to you.”
Musk addressed the controversy on Tuesday in a post on X: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo [sic] tired,” Whether the gesture was intentional or not, social media remains in an uproar.
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