Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk’s hand gesture during a speech on United States President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day has drawn widespread criticism and comparisons to a Nazi salute.The owner of X and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla appeared at a rally for Trump’s supporters on Monday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
“This was no ordinary victory. This was a fork in the road of human civilisation,” Musk said during his speech.
“This one really mattered. Thank you for making it happen! Thank you,” he said.
Musk then touched the left side of his chest with his right hand and extended his arm upward, repeating the motion to the crowd behind him.
“My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured,” he said as he finished the gesture.
Many took to social media to condemn the action, describing it as reminiscent of a Nazi salute used by supporters of German dictator Adolf Hitler.
Musk slammed the criticism and wrote on X that “the ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.” Advertisement
Here’s what we know about the salute, its history and why Musk’s gesture has sparked controversy:
What’s the response to Musk’s salute?
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history and fascism at New York University, wrote on X that the gesture was a “Nazi salute – and a very belligerent one too”.
But the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which tracks anti-Semitism, disagreed with claims that Musk had performed …