On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump was inaugurated and sworn in as the United States’ 47th president. The inauguration had various speakers other than the president himself, including Timothy Cardinal Nolan, Rabi Ari Berman, Rev. Franklin Graham and Elon Musk.
Musk, the head of Tesla, SpaceX and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) corporations, spoke after Trump’s inauguration speech. He discussed his joy and excitement for the future “golden age” that Trump spoke of in his inauguration speech.
As Musk delivered his speech, he stated how important this election was, thanking the crowd and supporters around him. He then placed his right hand on his heart and extended his arm out at an angle with his palm facing downward. He then turned around and repeated the motion and began speaking again, saying, “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.”
Following Musk’s speech, the clip has gone entirely viral. Among the many executive orders that Trump signed on his first day as president, the internet began a week-long debate about how to interpret Musk’s gesture.
Many agree and have recognized it as a Nazi salute, remembering the Sieg Heil salute, meaning “hail victory” in German — commonly used as a victory gesture at political rallies of the Nazi Party in the 20th century. The backlash that Musk has received for making such a gesture at the beginning of a new political administration’s term has been immense.
Others, such as supporters of the President Trump and Musk, have excused the gesture due to him having Asperger’s. The gesture was meant to express enthusiasm, therefore not making any purposeful gestures, such as imitating a Nazi.
Others have stated that he was imitating a Roman salute. The Ancient Romans have been depicted by artists in paintings with their arms extended with their palms facing downward, such as The Oath of Horatii by Jacques-Louis David in 1785.
Yet, other news organizations, such as The Guardian, have covered the European reaction to the moment. Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, condemned Musk’s actions, specifically concerning his past support of Alternative für Deutschland, Germany’s far-right political party.
Musk’s overall replies to these accusations have been lighthearted and humorous. He has passively commented on posts and retweeted others.
In a response to a tweet, Musk wrote, “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
He also reposted a set of pictures from the “Lids of TikTok” account that shared pictures of politicians such as Kamala Harris and Barack Obama with their arms extended in a similar manner. Other posts have gone viral in this debate with left-wing figures doing the same gesture, although clipped at specific times to make it look like a Sieg Heil salute.
“The legacy media is pure propaganda. You are the media now,” Musk said.
Many comments on social media have debated both sides as to what the salute could stand for. Musk has still not addressed the situation directly. Many have pointed out the irony that Musk hasn’t directly negated or spoken about what the salute meant, though he directs a governmental department on efficiency.
