Billionaire Elon Musk ignited controversy after making a gesture at an event celebrating the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, with some labeling it a “Nazi” or “fascist” movement.
However, a prominent tracker of anti-Semitism indicated that it seemed to represent a moment of exuberance instead.
Musk took the stage at Capital One Arena in Washington to roaring cheers, pumping his arms and exclaiming, “Yesssss.”
“This was no ordinary victory. This was a pivotal moment in the history of human civilization,” he declared. “This one truly mattered. Thank you for making it happen! Thank you,” he continued.
“My heart goes out to you. It is because of you that the future of civilization is secured,” he concluded as he finished his gesture.
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The gestures were quickly examined on social media.
“Did Elon Musk Sieg Heil at Trump’s inauguration?” queried the Jerusalem Post.
Claire Aubin, a historian specializing in Nazism in the United States, concurred that Musk’s gesture resembled a “sieg heil,” or Nazi salute.
“In my professional opinion, you should trust your eyes,” Ms. Aubin posted on X, aligning with those who perceived the gesture as a direct reference to Nazis.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian of fascism, also asserted that the gesture “was indeed a Nazi salute – and a very confrontational one at that,” she stated on X.
The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors anti-Semitism, had a differing view.
“It appears that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of excitement, not a Nazi salute; however, we recognize that people are understandably on edge,” it tweeted.
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the ADL’s response, tweeting: “Just to clarify, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and reiterated for emphasis and clarity.”
Representatives for both Musk and Trump did not respond immediately to requests for comments.
Shortly after his address, Musk shared a video clip of parts of his speech on his social media platform X, which cut away from the podium during his initial gesture while facing the cameras. “The future is so exciting,” he captioned it.
Some users on X defended Musk, asserting that he was expressing “my heart goes out to you” and criticized comments suggesting otherwise.
Musk has shown support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-immigration, anti-Islamic party labeled as right-wing extremist by German security agencies, in an upcoming national election.
Earlier this month, he hosted a broadcast with the party’s leader on his social media platform.
He has also called for the release of Tommy Robinson, a prominent extremist activist in the UK, claiming he was imprisoned “for telling the truth.”
Robinson, accused of inciting anti-immigration riots last summer, was imprisoned in October after pleading guilty to contempt of court over a long-standing libel case involving a Syrian refugee.
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