The SpaceX CEO and Twitter owner was accused of executing a ‘Nazi salute’ while on stage at the Capitol One Arena in Washington.
The 53-year-old appeared enthusiastic about the prospect of sending an American to Mars, during which he thumped his chest with his fist and extended his arm at a certain angle.
He remarked, “Thank you for making it happen. Thank you, my heart goes out to you,” before once more facing the audience and repeating the action toward the American flag.
Numerous viewers took to social media to express their opinions on the situation, alleging that Musk made a ‘Sieg Heil’ that seemed unmistakable – and not just once, but twice.
Musk addressed the remarks on his Twitter account, while the Anti-Defamation League suggested it was an ‘awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm’ rather than a ‘Nazi salute’.
Despite this, some of Musk’s customers appear to be uncomfortable with the incident.
On Reddit, thousands of Tesla owners have been discussing their feelings about their vehicles in light of the event, with the original poster asking, “Are you going to do anything about it?”
Some have claimed that the gesture has completely deterred them from ever investing in a Tesla, while others are considering selling their vehicles out of ’embarrassment’ to be associated with the brand, expressing that they would not have purchased a Tesla had Musk made this gesture earlier.
There are also those who feel ‘stuck’ with their current vehicle but have sworn not to buy another Tesla in the future.
One user commented, “I’m stuck with my car for now but I won’t be buying another Tesla.”
Another user stated, “I don’t have the financial freedom to take a huge loss selling my vehicle. Instead, I simply won’t give Tesla any more money going forward, and my next vehicle upgrade will probably come sooner than it may have otherwise.”
A third user remarked, “I’m 100 percent buying an EV and 100 percent not a Tesla in the next 12 months because of Elon only… Would have probably bought a Tesla otherwise.”
These comments come as Tesla’s brand value has already suffered a significant $15,000,000,000 decline due to issues with the Cybertruck build and a massive recall.
Brand Finance CEO David Haigh suggested that Musk’s behavior has also contributed to this impact.
He noted, “If you are buying electric vehicles, his persona is highly likely to impact your view of whether or not you want to buy one of his company’s cars, but that’s only one of many factors.”