
By Office of Speaker Mike Johnson
Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, has faced significant backlash for a hand gesture he made during a speech on the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, with many drawing parallels to a Nazi salute. The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, as well as the owner of X, was present at a rally for Trump supporters on Monday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
During his speech, Elon Musk declared that this victory was exceptional, representing a decisive moment in the course of human civilization. “This event truly holds significance. I thank you for your efforts in making it possible. Thank you,” he conveyed.
Elon Musk then touched his chest with his right hand and raised his arm towards the audience, repeating the gesture. “My deepest regards go to you. It is your involvement that ensures the future of civilization,” he concluded as he finished the motion. Many took to social media to denounce the gesture, comparing it to a Nazi salute used by supporters of Adolf Hitler. Musk countered the criticism on X, stating that “the ‘everyone is Hitler’ argument is quite worn out.”
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history and fascism at New York University, stated on X that the gesture was indicative of a “Nazi salute – and a very belligerent one too.” In contrast, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors anti-Semitic activities, disagreed with the interpretation that Musk had performed a Nazi salute, asserting instead that it was merely an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm.” Aaron Astor, a history professor at Maryville College in Tennessee, endorsed the ADL’s perspective, commenting on X that it was “not a Nazi salute.” He added that it was “a socially awkward autistic man’s wave to the crowd where he says ‘my heart goes out to you.’”
The Nazi salute, commonly referred to as the Heil Hitler salute, involves extending the right arm with the palm facing downward and served as an official greeting in Nazi Germany. This gesture, however, has origins that trace back to a salute believed to have been utilized in ancient Rome. In 1925, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who sought to revive the spirit of imperial Rome, embraced this gesture. By 1926, it became mandatory for members of the Nazi party in Germany to adopt this salute.
Shortly after World War II, Germany instituted a ban on the Nazi salute and any display of Nazi symbols, with offenders facing a potential prison sentence of three years. Austria similarly enacted laws against the Nazi party and its insignia in the war’s aftermath. In January 2024, Australia prohibited the Nazi salute, the swastika, and the double lightning bolt insignia linked to the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary group established by Hitler.
In Canada, France, and Switzerland, gestures associated with Nazism may be deemed hate speech. In contrast, the United States does not impose a ban on such salutes, as the First Amendment of the Constitution protects freedom of speech, including hate speech.