The Anti-Defamation League defends the tech billionaire for making an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm.”
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has come under fire after making consecutive hand gestures resembling the Nazi salute during a speech celebrating Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.
Speaking to Trump supporters hours after the Republican was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, Musk hailed the outcome of the Nov. 4 U.S. presidential election as “an unusual victory.”
“It was a fork in the road to human civilization,” Musk said at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
“This one really mattered. Thank you for making this possible! THANKS.”
Musk then slammed his right hand against his chest before extending his arm upwards, palm down and fingers together.
Wait, did Musk just give a Nazi salute? pic.twitter.com/VZChlQXSYv
– Republicans Against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 20, 2025
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who was tasked with leading the so-called Department of Government Effectiveness in the Trump administration, then turned to face the crowd behind him and repeated the gesture.
Musk’s actions immediately drew scrutiny online, with some social media users accusing him of giving the infamous Sieg Heil salute associated with Adolf Hitler.
“Honestly, it couldn’t sound more like a Nazi salute,” said British journalist and commentator Owen Jones in an article on X.
The gesture also attracted the attention of Israeli media, with the Haaretz newspaper saying that Musk appeared to conclude his remarks with a “‘Roman salute,’ a fascist salute most often associated with Nazi Germany.”
“Not a Nazi salute”
Others have defended Musk, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), one of the most prominent organizations dedicated to combating anti-Semitism, which said the billionaire had made an “awkward move in a moment enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”
“Right now, all parties should give themselves some grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath,” the ADL said in a post on X.
“It’s a new beginning. Let us hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years to come.
Al Jazeera did not immediately receive a response to requests for comment sent to Musk’s lawyer and several of his companies.
Musk’s politics have shifted dramatically on the right since he publicly came out in support of Trump after the Republican narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July.
Earlier this month, the billionaire hosted Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, for a conversation on his social media platform X after supporting his party in February’s national elections.
