Elon Musk’s one-armed salute before a cheering crowd during President Donald Trump’sinauguration festivitieshas ignited a swirl of debate about the true meaning of the tech billionaire’s gesture.
Musk himself shrugged off the scrutiny. Ina post on X, he contended that Democrats were politically motivated in fueling the discussion.
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks,” he wrote. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.” (He added a sleeping emoji.)
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The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was a prominent guest throughout Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jan. 20, and was a major supporter of Trump’s campaign as well as a vocal opponent of what he considers to be “woke” politics.
Elon Musk.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
Musk has alsopreviously been slammedin 2023 for agreeing with a social media user who falsely claimed Jewish people stoked hatred against White people. Helater apologized.
It was while Musk was speaking before a pro-Trump crowd on Monday that he made the one-armed salute, after he spoke about the importance of Trump’s reelection.
“This one really mattered. And I just want to say thank you for making it happen, thank you,” Musk said.
Then he placed a hand over his heart quickly and saluted at an upward angle, with a small grunt for emphasis.
He turned to attendees sitting behind him and repeated the gesture.
“My heart goes out to you,” he said, putting his hand back over his chest.
“Historian of fascism here. That was a Nazi salute - and a very belligerent one too,” a New York University history professor, Ruth Ben-Ghiat,wrote on X.
In addition to Musk pushing back, others agreed with him in saying the whole situation was being blown out of proportion.
“Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety,” the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish rights group,posted on X.
“It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the group added. “In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.”
Another Musk defender, citing Musk’s past trip to mourn victims at a Nazi concentration camp,wrote on Xthat “anyone trying to portray him as a Nazi is intentionally misleading the public. It was a stupid hand gesture, not an intentional Nazi salute.”
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart weighed in on the back and forthon his show on Monday night, quipping that “s— got weird” during the inauguration.
“I’m just going to be generous and say maybe that was Elon’s attempt at…dabbingon the haters?” he joked.
As the chatter has continued into Tuesday, Jan. 21, people have also been weighing in on the history of Nazi salutes — and other salutes, including the so-called “Roman salute” that is commonly, but incorrectly, associated with the ancient Roman Empire.
Before the rise of the Nazis, one-armed salutes were also used for the Pledge of Allegiance andat the Olympics.
source: people.com
