Elon Musk took the stage in front of a hyped-up crowd of Donald Trump supporters on Monday, just hours after the presidential inauguration, and he pulled a move that’s giving him some serious backlash.
At Capital One Arena, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX walked up to the mic, chuckling like he was in on some wild joke, and gave a shout-out to the roaring audience. But then he hit his chest hard with his right hand and extended it out, palm down—looking a whole lot like a Nazi salute. He even doubled down on that gesture for folks sitting behind him.
RELATED: TikTok Denies Report Claiming China Is Considering Selling App To Elon Musk, Says It’s ‘Pure Fiction’
That gesture sparked a wave of chatter online and on-air, with folks drawing parallels to the WWII-era “Sieg Heil” salute linked to Nazi Germany’s dictator, Adolf Hitler.
According to multiple outlets this salute has roots in an Ancient Roman salute, often done with that same chest slap. Both of these moves are pretty loaded, tied up with Europe’s fascist history.
RELATED: Elon Musk Sparks MAGA Backlash with Defense of Immigrant Tech Workers
Musk described Trump’s win as a pivotal moment, calling it a “fork in the road of human civilization.”
Last fall, Musk got roasted all over the internet when he bounced onto the stage after Trump’s intro in October, jumping around and flashing his midsection before delivering a gushing speech. He even dubbed himself “Dark MAGA,” which just added to the spectacle.
