During his inauguration speech, President Trump made numerous promises, claiming that his term would herald the ‘golden age of America’.
However, during the inauguration festivities at Capitol One Arena in Washington, the CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, Musk, was seen making a gesture that some interpreted as a ‘Nazi salute’ prior to the Inauguration Day parade.
Musk, 53, appeared enthusiastic about the idea of sending a man to Mars and planting an American flag. During this moment, the Twitter owner thumped his chest and extended his right arm towards the sky.
The tech billionaire stated: “Thank you for making it happen. Thank you, my heart goes out to you,” then turned to the audience and repeated the unusual gesture towards the American flag.
This action led to online controversy, with many likening the gesture to a fascist salute or deeming it ‘odd-looking’, as noted by CNN anchors Erin Burnett and Kasie Hunt, according to The Independent.
Hunt remarked that the gesture was ‘evocative of things that we have seen through history’ and ‘not something you typically see at American rallies’.
Some on Twitter accused Musk of making a ‘Sieg Heil’ gesture, claiming it was ‘clear as day’, while others argued that the move was indefensible and could not have been accidental as he ‘did it twice’.
In defense of Musk, the Anti-Defamation League, an antisemitism watchdog, tweeted: “It seems that [Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge.”
The organization added: “This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety.
“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.”
US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the group’s stance, stating: “Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.
“People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.”
In response to the backlash, Musk commented that Ocasio-Cortez has ‘just 100 percent lost her marbles’.
Another user defended Musk by questioning the frequent labeling of people as Nazis: “Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing? It didn’t work during the election, it’s not working now, it’s tired, boring, and old material, you’ve burned out its effect, people don’t feel shocked by it anymore, the wolf has been cried too many times.”
Musk agreed, responding with ‘yeah exactly’ and a yawn emoji.
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks,” he added. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
Earlier in the day, Musk was also the subject of social media discussions when Trump mentioned America’s goal to send a person to Mars, and Musk responded with an enthusiastic thumbs up next to a seemingly unimpressed Barron Trump.