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Elon Musk draws outrage over ‘odd-looking salute’ at Trump inauguration celebration
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Tesla CEO and “first buddy” Elon Musk drew a ton of immediate outrage online and on cable news after he made an “odd-looking” gesture during his speech at the Capitol One Arena on Monday to celebrate President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
After getting extremely excited about the prospect of landing a man on Mars and planting an American flag, the X owner pounded his chest and shot his right arm in an angular motion toward the sky. He also turned his back on the audience and repeated the gesture towards the back of the stage.
“Standing ovation for Elon Musk. By far the biggest reception of the day,” CNN anchor Erin Burnett noted. “You saw him come out with that odd-looking salute.”
“It was odd-looking,” Burnett reiterated, pointing out that they would show viewers a screenshot of the moment.
Considering the strange spectacle and the similarities to a particular other controversial hand motion, it didn’t take long for critics of the Trump-backing billionaire and DOGE chief to exclaim online what they thought the world’s richest man was doing at that moment.
“Yeah Elon gave a Sieg Heil,” one user posted on Bluesky, while others pointedly accused him of giving a “Nazi salute.”
“Our new co-president Elon Musk gives a Nazi salute on day one of Trump presidency,” Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett tweeted while sharing a clip of the gesture.
At the same time, while liberals and MAGA detractors shared videos of Musk’s provocative wave to the crowd, there was nothing in Musk’s excitable pro-Trump speech that explicitly referenced fascism and Nazism — and it is almost certain that the tech mogul would deny that he was making that gesture during a celebration of the new president.
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is no stranger to controversy. However, his recent actions at a celebration for President Trump’s inauguration have drawn widespread outrage.
During the event, Musk was seen giving what many are calling an “odd-looking salute” to the President. The gesture, which involved holding his hand in a fist with his thumb and pinky fingers extended, has been interpreted by some as a sign of support for white supremacist groups.
Critics have taken to social media to voice their disapproval of Musk’s actions, with many calling for a boycott of his companies. Some have even gone so far as to accuse him of being a closeted white supremacist.
Musk has not yet commented on the controversy, but his spokesperson released a statement saying that the gesture was meant to be a sign of respect for the President and was not intended to convey any other message.
Regardless of his intentions, Musk’s actions have sparked a heated debate online, with many questioning his judgment and moral compass. Only time will tell how this latest scandal will impact his reputation and his businesses.
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