Elon Musk’s hand gesture during his speech at an event celebrating President Trump’s inauguration sparked online criticism.
As per BBC, Musk, while thanking the supporters who helped contribute to Donald Trump’s victory, made a specific hand gesture.
He thanked the crowd by saying, “making it happen,” and then placed his right hand over his heart in a gesture of appreciation, followed by extending the same arm straight out in front of him.
During a speech at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Musk said, “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured.”
Afterwards, he turned around and repeated the same gesture for the people sitting behind him.
Several people turned to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and began comparing Musk’s hand gesture to the Nazi salute, to which Musk responded, "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."
Claire Aubin, a historian with expertise in the study of Nazism in the United States, said on X that Musk's gesture was a "sieg heil", or Nazi salute. "My professional opinion is that you're all right, you should believe your eyes.”
As per the reports, Andrea Stroppa, a close ally of Musk who has helped Musk connect with Italy’s far-right PM Giorgia Meloni, was reported by Italian media to have shared a clip of Musk with the caption: "Roman Empire is back starting from Roman salute.”
Stroppa later removed his original post after some people interpreted Musk’s gesture as a Nazi salute.
He then clarified that “gesture, which some mistook for a Nazi salute, is simply Elon, who has autism, expressing his feelings by saying, 'I want to give my heart to you.’”
For the unversed, Tesla CEO has become a trusted and closest supporter of President Trump.
Musk has been selected to help lead an initiative that Trump has called the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
