“I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal"
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is being condemned for appearing to make back-to-back fascist salutes at a Trump inauguration rally yesterday.
The owner of X praised Trump voters for putting the far-right Republican back in the White House. He then proceeded to slap his right hand into his chest, before shooting out his right arm on an upwards diagonal, fingers together and palm facing down.
Musk then turned and saluted again, his arm and hand slightly lower. He told the audience: “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you. We’re gonna have safe cities, finally safe cities. Secure borders, sensible spending. Basic stuff. And we’re gonna take ‘Doge’ to Mars.”
His gesture prompted widespread criticism and outrage, with one social media user commenting: “Within hours of Donald Trump taking the oath of office, billionaire Elon Musk gave the Nazi salute during his speech at an inauguration rally.
“It was not an accident or a mistake, he did it twice.
“Way to go America.”
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, said: “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.”
“I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,” Jerry Nadler, a Democratic congressman from New York, said in a post on X.
“This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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