Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a top adviser to President Trump, drew and quickly refuted a series of online condemnations from Democratic lawmakers, left-wing politicians abroad and others after being criticized by a U.S. president twice had made what looked to some like a Nazi salute during the inauguration phase.
Musk – who has endorsed anti-Semitic statements and allied himself with far-right factions, including Alternative for Germany in that country – made the gestures during a spirited speech celebrating Trump's return to power at an indoor rally at the Capital on Monday One Arena in Washington.
“I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you,” Musk said to the crowd. He slapped his chest with his right hand and then shot his hand up, open and flat, and palm down, his right arm rigidly extended.
Then he turned around and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. “My heart goes out to you,” he said.
Some defended Musk. The Anti-Defamation League, which campaigns against anti-Semitism, offered Musk a pass with a post on X – a platform Musk owns.
“It appears that (Musk) made an awkward gesture in a moment of excitement, not like a Nazi salute, but again we appreciate that people are nervous,” the group said. “At this moment, all sides should give each other a little grace, maybe even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath.”
Others disagreed sharply.
“To be clear: You are defending a Heil Hitler salute, performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in response to the ADL’s post on X. “People can officially stop doing this.” I’m listening to you now as a reputable source of information. You work for them. Thank you for making that clear to everyone.”
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said he was shocked to see Musk's gesture at an inaugural event.
“I never thought we would see the day when behind the presidential seal there would be something that looked like a Heil Hitler salute,” Nadler wrote on X.
The concerns were shared by left-wing politicians across Europe and sparked a heated online debate, with people comparing side-by-side videos of Musk and Hitler.
Others came to Musk's defense. After a report on
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'Everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo boring,” he wrote, then added a sleeping face emoji.
Musk also suggested on X that the debate over his gestures was evidence of “old-fashioned media propaganda.”
On Tuesday, the matter was raised again – in Congress.
At a confirmation hearing for Trump's nominee for United Nations ambassador, Elise Stefanik, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.) asked what she thought about Musk “last night at the televised rally of the United Nations.” President made two 'Heil Hitler' greetings?”
“NO. Elon Musk did not make these greetings,” said Stefanik. She said Musk likes to cheer on Trump and is a visionary.
It was “just not the case” that Musk made Nazi salutes, she said. “And to put it this way: The American people are smart – they see through it. They support Elon Musk.”
Murphy then noted that neo-Nazis and other far-right and white supremacists across the country had made it clear online that they believed Musk made Nazi salutes — which they approved of and thanked him for — and asked Stefanik what she thought.
Stefanik criticized Murphy for asking the question, saying both she and Trump have a strong track record of combating anti-Semitism.