During President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, Elon Musk delivered a speech at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. At the conclusion of his remarks, Musk placed his right hand over his heart and then extended his arm outward and upward with his palm facing down—a gesture that many interpreted as resembling a Nazi salute.

 

 

The gesture sparked immediate controversy. Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler expressed his dismay on social media, stating, “I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the presidential seal.”  Similarly, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized both Musk and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for their response, accusing the ADL of defending the gesture.

In Germany, the incident prompted significant concern. Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, described the gesture as “highly disconcerting.” Discussions arose about the potential legal implications of such a gesture under German law, which prohibits symbols associated with Nazism.

 

The ADL defended Musk, suggesting that he “made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”  However, this stance was met with criticism from various quarters, including former ADL director Abe Foxman, who characterized Musk’s action as a “Heil Hitler Nazi salute.”

Musk addressed the controversy on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” accompanied by a snooze emoji.  Despite the backlash, he did not issue an explicit denial regarding the nature of the gesture.