Politics in the 2020s has a weird way of making the mundane look like a crisis and the crisis look like a meme. Take the steve bannon cpac salute that basically set the internet on fire back in February 2025. One minute, Bannon is doing his usual "War Room" shtick, firing up a crowd of red-hatted enthusiasts with talk of a "third term" for Donald Trump. The next, he’s snapping his right arm out at a 45-degree angle, and suddenly, half the world is screaming "Nazi" while the other half says he was just waving to the back of the room.
It happened in Oxon Hill, Maryland. CPAC 2025 was supposed to be a victory lap. Trump was back in the White House, the "MAGA" movement felt like the new mainstream, and Bannon was there to play the role of the high priest of the populist right. But that one gesture—a stiff-armed, palm-down extension—overshadowed nearly everything else he said about the 2028 election or the "divine providence" of the movement.
The Moment the Steve Bannon CPAC Salute Went Viral
Honestly, if you watch the footage, the timing is what makes it so jarring. Bannon had just finished a high-energy rant. He was shouting "Fight! Fight! Fight!"—the now-iconic slogan born from the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt on Trump. As the crowd roared, he straightened his right arm swiftly. It wasn't a loose, floppy wave. It was sharp. It was rigid. And then, just as quickly, he pulled it back and yelled "Amen."
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The backlash wasn't just from the usual suspects. Sure, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was out the gate early, calling it a "normalization of extremist behavior." They’ve been tracking Bannon for years, so that was expected. But the real shocker came from across the Atlantic.
Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s National Rally, was actually in D.C. to speak at CPAC. He’s no liberal; he’s a far-right leader who has been trying to "de-demonize" his party for years. When he saw the steve bannon cpac salute, he pulled the plug on his own speech. He called it a "gesture referring to Nazi ideology" and basically said he wouldn't be caught dead on the same stage.
Bannon’s Defense: "It Was Just a Wave"
When the heat got too high, Bannon didn't back down—he lashed out. Speaking to a reporter from the French magazine Le Point, he dismissed the whole thing as a total nothingburger. "I do it at the end of all my speeches to thank the crowd," he said. He even took a swing at Bardella, calling him a "boy, not a man" and claiming the French politician "wets himself like a little child."
Classic Bannon.
He argued that he’s been making that same gesture for years, including at Front National events in France nearly a decade ago. His supporters jumped in too. They pointed out that Bannon often moves his arms around wildly when he's hyped up. To them, the media was just looking for a "gotcha" moment to link the MAGA movement to 1930s Germany.
Why This Specific Gesture Caused a Meltdown
Context is everything here. Just a month before this happened, Elon Musk had done something remarkably similar at an inauguration event. Musk’s "salute" also triggered a massive debate, though the ADL eventually gave him a pass, calling it an "awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm."
But Bannon isn't Musk. Bannon is a historian. He’s a guy who reads deeply into political philosophy and knows exactly what certain symbols represent. Critics argue that Bannon doesn't do "accidents."
The gesture itself is often called a Roman salute. Historians will tell you there’s actually no real evidence the ancient Romans used it; it was mostly popularized by 18th-century paintings and then adopted by Mussolini’s fascists in Italy before Hitler’s Nazis made it their own. Even Nick Fuentes—a guy who usually loves this kind of stuff—said in a livestream that Bannon’s move was "getting a little uncomfortable" even for him. When you’ve lost the fringe, you know you’ve done something loud.
The Political Fallout at CPAC 2025
Inside the room at CPAC, the vibe was totally different. People weren't cowering; they were cheering. For many in the audience, the steve bannon cpac salute was seen as a deliberate "troll" to trigger the mainstream media. There's a certain segment of the base that loves it when Bannon or Trump leans into the very things the "elites" hate.
Matt Schlapp, the chairman of CPAC, stood by his man. He pointed out that the conference had passed resolutions supporting Israel and fighting antisemitism earlier that week. In his view, you couldn't call Bannon a Nazi if the conference was pro-Israel. It’s a defense we’ve heard a lot, and it highlights the weird, complex alliances in modern conservative politics.
Breaking Down the "Third Term" Rhetoric
While everyone was staring at his hand, Bannon was saying some pretty wild stuff with his mouth. He was openly pressing for Trump to serve a third term—something the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution strictly forbids.
"The future of America is MAGA," he told the crowd. "And the future of MAGA is Donald J. Trump. We want Trump in ’28!"
This wasn't just a slip of the tongue. It’s part of a broader narrative Bannon has been pushing on his podcast: the idea that the current rules don't apply to a movement he sees as "divinely" inspired. The salute was just the visual exclamation point on a speech that was already designed to push the boundaries of American political norms.
Misconceptions vs. Reality
One big misconception is that Bannon was the only one doing this. As mentioned, the "Musk salute" happened just weeks prior. There’s a theory that Bannon was actually imitating Musk to show solidarity—or maybe just to steal some of the limelight.
Another misconception? That the crowd was shocked. Honestly, most people in the room probably didn't even realize how it looked on camera until they checked their phones later. When you’re in a loud, dark hall with "Fight! Fight! Fight!" ringing in your ears, a raised arm looks like a victory sign, not a historical callback.
But for the cameras—and for the international stage—it was a disaster.
Lessons from the Bannon Salute Incident
If you're trying to make sense of this, don't look for a simple "yes" or "no" on whether it was a Nazi salute. Look at the utility of the gesture. For Bannon, it served two purposes:
- It kept him in the headlines for another 72 hours.
- It forced his opponents to spend their energy calling him a name he’s already been called a thousand times.
It’s the "carnivalization" of politics. You take something heavy and dark, toss it into a high-energy rally, and then claim everyone else is "crazy" for noticing it.
If you want to stay informed on how these optics are used in modern campaigns, the best thing you can do is watch the raw footage rather than just the 5-second clips on social media. Pay attention to the lead-up. Bannon’s martial rhetoric—calling Trump an "instrument of divine providence"—is often more telling than a single hand gesture.
Keep an eye on the 2028 "third term" talk as well. While the steve bannon cpac salute was the flashpoint, the underlying message about bypassing constitutional limits is the real story that will likely play out over the next few years. Understanding that the "troll" is often a distraction from the policy goal is the first step in not getting caught in the cycle of outrage.
Actionable Next Steps:
To get a fuller picture of this incident, you should compare the Bannon CPAC footage directly with the Elon Musk inauguration video from January 2025. Look for the "palm-down" versus "palm-open" distinction that the ADL uses to differentiate between a wave and a salute. Additionally, track the legislative responses to the "Trump 2028" movement to see if Bannon's rhetoric at that conference is actually turning into a formal political push.