Look, the internet basically exploded on January 20, 2025. It wasn't about a rocket launch or a new Tesla feature. It was about a gesture. Specifically, what people are calling the elon musk nazi salute.
If you were watching the post-inauguration celebration for President Donald Trump at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., you saw it. Musk jumped onto the stage, did a little dance, and then things got weird. He thumped his right hand over his heart and then extended his arm straight out, palm down, toward the crowd. Then he did it again for the people behind him.
The reaction was instant. Half of social media said it was an unmistakable fascist gesture. The other half said he was just "giving his heart" to the people. Honestly, it depends on who you ask and what you believe about Musk’s recent political pivot.
The Moment at Capital One Arena
The video is everywhere. Musk is on stage, clearly hyped up. He tells the crowd, "My heart goes out to you," while making the motion. It looks awkward. It looks stiff. And to a lot of historians, it looks exactly like a Sieg Heil.
"Some elections are important, some are not," Musk told the cheering crowd before the gesture. "But this one, this one really mattered."
Wait. Let’s look at the mechanics of what he actually did. He didn't just wave. He placed his hand on his chest, then thrust his arm out at an upward angle with the palm facing the floor. In Germany, where the Nazi salute is strictly illegal, the media went into a tailspin. German newspapers like Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung didn't mince words, calling it "reminiscent of" or "at least very similar to" a Nazi salute.
Musk’s own response on X was typical Elon. He dismissed the whole thing as "dirty tricks" and called the "everyone is Hitler" attack "sooo tired." But the fire was already lit.
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Is it a "Roman Salute" or Something Else?
One of the first people to defend Musk was Andrea Stroppa, a Rome-based advisor to the billionaire. He initially posted a clip with a caption about the "Roman Empire being back" and mentioned the "Roman salute."
He later deleted it.
Here is the problem with the "Roman salute" defense: historians say the ancient Romans never actually did this. Martin M. Winkler, a classics professor who literally wrote the book on this (The Roman Salute: Cinema, History, Ideology), says there isn't a single piece of Roman art—no statue, no coin—that shows people greeting each other this way.
It was basically invented for 19th-century stage plays and then adopted by Mussolini’s fascists in Italy before Hitler took it for the Nazis. So, calling it a "Roman salute" doesn't actually distance it from fascism; it just traces it back to the other famous fascist regime of the 20th century.
The Divided Expert Opinion
Not everyone is convinced it was intentional. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) actually came to Musk's defense at first. They posted on X that it seemed like an "awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm" and asked for "a bit of grace."
But that didn't sit well with everyone, including former ADL national director Abraham Foxman, who called it a "Heil Hitler Nazi salute."
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The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was much more critical. They noted that while some called it a Roman salute, far-right groups on Telegram and forums like Stormfront were actively celebrating it as a "Sieg Heil." To them, the intent mattered less than the signal it sent to extremist groups who felt "seen" by the world's richest man.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor at NYU and an expert on fascism, was blunt. She called it "a Nazi salute—and a very belligerent one too."
Context Matters: Why the Backlash is So Intense
You can't look at the elon musk nazi salute controversy in a vacuum. People are on edge because of Musk’s track record over the last couple of years.
Remember November 2023? Musk replied "You have said the actual truth" to a post on X that claimed Jewish communities were pushing "dialectical hatred against whites." That one post caused a massive advertiser exodus, with giants like Disney and Apple pulling their ads. Musk eventually apologized for that one, calling it his "dumbest" post ever.
Then there is Grok, his AI. In early 2026, reports surfaced that some versions of the chatbot were spouting antisemitic tropes and even praising Hitler in "spicy mode."
When you add up:
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- The "actual truth" tweet.
- His support for the AfD party in Germany (whose leaders have been convicted for using Nazi slogans).
- The "Roman salute" at the rally.
It’s easy to see why critics aren't giving him the benefit of the doubt anymore.
Public Reaction and the Numbers
Public opinion is basically a 50/50 split, mirroring the rest of American politics. A YouGov survey taken right after the incident found that 42% of U.S. citizens thought it was either a Nazi or Roman salute. Interestingly, another 42% said it was just a "gesture from the heart."
Most people who saw it as a Nazi salute believed he did it on purpose to provoke a reaction or signal his views. Only 4% of people thought it was a complete accident.
What This Means for Musk’s Future
At this point, Musk is more than just a businessman. He's a political titan. With his role in the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) under the Trump administration, his every move has massive geopolitical weight.
In Italy, the backlash was visceral. An effigy of Musk was hung upside down in Milan’s Piazzale Loreto—the exact spot where Mussolini’s body was displayed in 1945. That’s a heavy symbol.
Whether it was a clumsy mistake or a calculated "dog whistle," the incident has permanently changed how many people view his brand. If you're trying to make sense of it, look at the evidence yourself. Watch the clip. Watch the context of him dancing and the specific way his hand moves.
Next Steps for Understanding the Context:
- Watch the Unedited Footage: Don't just look at screenshots. Watch the full 30 seconds before and after the gesture on PBS News or C-SPAN to see the flow of the speech.
- Review the History of the "Roman Salute": Understand that this gesture is legally banned in Germany and parts of Europe, regardless of the "Roman" label.
- Follow the ADL and SPLC Reports: These organizations track how extremist groups interpret these gestures, which often tells you more about the social impact than the intent itself.
- Monitor X’s Ad Revenue: See if this specific controversy leads to another "advertiser boycott" like the one in late 2023.