Elon Musk’s use of an arm gesture that distinctly resembled a Roman salute, a greeting arguably best known for its use among members of the Nazi Party, generated confusion and concern as the billionaire tech entrepreneur delivered remarks at an inaugural celebration at Capital One Arena in Washington.
The Roman salute is not original to the Nazi Party but was popularized again by the group and other fascists who often used it as a greeting. It has been used regularly by white nationalist groups, as noted by the Anti-Defamation League.
The owner of the X social media platform, SpaceX and Tesla made what CNN anchor Erin Burnett called an “odd-looking” salute.
“It was quick. Our viewers are smart, and they can take a look at that. But it certainly was ― it’s not something you typically see in an American political rally, let’s put it that way,” Burnett said.
Musk is known for his wild gesticulating on stage.
On Monday, appearing to ride the high of Trump’s inaugural speech, Musk told Trump supporters they saved the world.
“This is what victory feels like,” he said, slamming his fists into a lectern with the presidential seal on it. “This was no ordinary victory. This was a fork in the road of human civilization. This ― you know, there are elections, they come and go. There are elections; some are important, some are not. But this one, this one really mattered,” he said, laughing. “I just want to say thank you for making it happen.”
There was a standing ovation before Musk then thrust his right arm in the air at a skyward angle.
“My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. We’re going to have safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending, basic stuff, and we’re going to take DOGE to Mars!” Musk added, referring to a proposed Department of Government Efficiency he is expected to co-lead.
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He asked the crowd if they could imagine “how awesome it would be to have American astronauts plant the flag on another planet for the first time?”