Elon Musk Reacted To People Accusing Him Of Doing A Nazi Salute At A Rally After Trump's Inauguration

Elon Musk is facing criticism for his salute at the rally following the inauguration of Donald Trump.

A man stands at a podium with a presidential seal, arms raised triumphantly, wearing a suit and tie, in front of a blue backdrop with white stars
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The richest man on earth took to the stage at the Capital One Arena in DC and began his speech by saying, "Thank you for making it happen."

He then slapped his right hand on his chest before extending it in a salute. He later repeated the salute in the rally.

A person at a podium in a suit gestures upward, with a backdrop filled with stars
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

Backlash likening the salute to Hitler emerged swiftly:

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out the controversial Anti-Defamation League, which dubbed the moment an "awkward gesture." The representative wrote, "Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity."

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Elon then shared a post calling the salute a "hoax," writing, "The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."

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On the other side, Christopher Pohlhaus, leader of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe, shared the clip and wrote, “I don’t care if this was a mistake. I’m going to enjoy the tears over it.” The founder of far-right social network Gab, Andrew Torba, shared a picture of Musk doing the salute, adding, “Incredible things are happening already.”

A person in a suit gestures to a cheering audience from a podium at an event. There's a lively crowd celebrating in the background
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