Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO and owner of X (formerly Twitter), ignited a storm of criticism after making a one-armed gesture during a speech celebrating Donald Trumpโs inauguration. The event took place at Washington, D.C.โs Capital One Arena, where Musk addressed the crowd as a staunch ally of the newly inaugurated president.
Musk, 53, thanked supporters, saying, โMy heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.โ He placed his hand over his heart before thrusting the same arm straight ahead, repeating the motion for the audience behind him. The gesture drew immediate comparisons on social media to the Nazi salute.
Gesture is ‘Roman Empire is Back’
Critics were quick to react.
Historian Claire Aubin, an expert on Nazism in the U.S., called it a clear โsieg heil,โ while Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian of fascism, described it as โa belligerent Nazi salute.โ
Even Andrea Stroppa, a close Musk confidant and ally of Italyโs far-right PM Giorgia Meloni, reportedly captioned a clip of the incident: โRoman Empire is back starting from Roman salute.โ Stroppa later deleted the post and clarified the gesture was an expression of Muskโs emotions, citing his autism.
Musk dismissed the outrage, calling it a baseless attack. โFrankly, they need better dirty tricks. The โeveryone is Hitlerโ attack is sooo tired,โ he posted on X.
This isnโt the first time Muskโs political alignment has come under scrutiny. In recent months, heโs shown support for Germanyโs far-right AfD party and Britainโs Reform UK, fueling concerns about his growing influence in right-wing circles.
‘Awkward But Not Malicious’
The incident even reached international forums.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, emphasized Europeโs commitment to free speech but warned against gestures supporting extremist ideologies.
Some defended Musk, including the Anti-Defamation League, which called the gesture โawkward but not malicious.โย But the controversy highlights the challenges of interpreting high-profile figuresโ actions in politically charged contexts.
As Musk assumes a co-lead role in Trumpโs new Department of Government Efficiency, his every move will undoubtedly remain under intense scrutiny.
About The Author
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me. https://accounts.binance.info/da-DK/register-person?ref=V3MG69RO
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me. https://www.binance.com/register?ref=IHJUI7TF
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you. https://accounts.binance.com/fr-AF/register?ref=JHQQKNKN
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good. https://www.binance.com/register?ref=IHJUI7TF