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Elon Musk dismisses accusations on stage: ‘The gesture is not a Nazi salute’

Tycoon responds to controversy after Trump inauguration event

Elon Musk has come under fire after a gesture he made on stage at an event on the day of the inauguration of Donald Trump, the new US president. During his speech, Musk clapped his right hand over his heart and then extended his arm, an action that many interpreted as a Nazi salute.

The discussion heated up on X, the social networking site owned by Musk himself, where photos and videos of the moment went viral. To the accusations, the tycoon responded directly with a post: ‘Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘they’re all Hitler’ attack is tiresome’.

During his speech, Musk had praised Trump’s election, calling it ‘a fork in the road of human civilisation’. He had also thanked the public for their role in the election result: ‘Thanks to you, the future of civilisation is assured. We will have safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending. Basic things’.

Trying to clarify the incident was Andrea Stroppa, Musk’s contact person in Italy, who explained how the gesture had no extremist connotations. ‘That gesture is simply Elon, who is autistic, expressing his feelings by saying ‘I want to give you my heart’. ELON DOES NOT LIKE EXTREMISTS!’ wrote Stroppa in a post, after removing the video initially posted on social.

However, the statements have not quelled criticism, with mixed reactions from the public and observers. Attention remains high on the tycoon’s statements and gestures, especially in the context of political polarisation in the US.

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