Elon Musk accused of making fascist salute at Trump’s inauguration rally

Musk placed his right hand on his chest before extending his arm upwards at a diagonal angle, fingers together and palm facing down.

By: Express Web Desk

Updated: January 21, 2025 05:24 AM IST

3 min read

Elon Musk speaks at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP)

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has sparked controversy after appearing to make two fascist-style salutes during celebrations for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.

Speaking to a crowd at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC, Musk, the owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and X (formerly Twitter), and a prominent Trump supporter and donor, addressed the audience, saying: “I just want to say thank you for making it happen.”

Musk placed his right hand on his chest before extending his arm upwards at a diagonal angle, fingers together and palm facing down. The gesture, resembling the Nazi salute, was made again moments later at a slightly lower angle.

Social media erupted in response, with public health expert Eric Feigl-Ding tweeting: “My God … Musk just did the Nazi salute live on TV.”

Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Haaretz described the action as a “Roman salute,” linking it to fascist symbolism most notably used in Nazi Germany, reported The Guardian.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that combats antisemitism, defines the Nazi salute as “raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down.”

Musk, speaking before Trump’s scheduled appearance at the event, praised the crowd, saying: “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured … We’re gonna have safe cities, secure borders, and sensible spending.”

Also read | As Donald Trump took oath as US President, here is how world reacted

Referring to the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a federal cost-cutting initiative to which Musk has been appointed, he promised further progress. He even joked about sending astronauts to Mars, saying: “We’re gonna take ‘Doge’ to Mars’.”

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Musk mimed planting a flag on another planet, shouting: “Bam! Bam!” The event drew further criticism as Musk’s interactions with far-right figures came under the spotlight.

Last week, he hosted Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right German party Alternative für Deutschland, for a discussion on X. Weidel claimed that Hitler “wasn’t a conservative” but a “communist, socialist guy,” a view Musk appeared to support.

Musk has yet to comment on the backlash regarding his controversial gestures.

(with inputs from The Guardian)

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