The internet basically melted down on January 20, 2025. It wasn't just about the inauguration of Donald Trump; it was about a specific five-second clip of the world’s richest man on a stage at the Capital One Arena. If you’ve been on social media at all lately, you’ve seen the video. Elon Musk jumps, dances a bit, and then—bam. He slaps his chest and flings his right arm out, palm down, in a stiff, diagonal gesture toward the crowd.
People immediately started asking: why did elon nazi salute? It’s a heavy question. In Germany, that gesture can literally get you arrested. In America, it’s the ultimate political third rail. But like everything involving Musk, the truth is wrapped in layers of "was he joking?" and "is he just awkward?" and "is he sending a signal?" Depending on who you ask, he was either having an autistic "moment of enthusiasm" or he was intentionally winking at the far-right.
The Moment That Set the Internet on Fire
Let’s look at the tape. It’s the post-inauguration "celebration." Musk is at the podium. He’s fired up. He tells the crowd that this election was a "fork in the road for human civilization." Then, he performs the gesture. He does it once to the front, then turns 180 degrees and does it again to the people behind him.
The reaction was instant.
Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler called it "abhorrent." Historians like Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who literally writes books on fascism, didn't mince words. She called it a "belligerent" Nazi salute. But then you have the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)—a group you’d expect to be the first to condemn it—actually stepping in to defend him. They called it an "awkward gesture" and asked everyone to take a breath.
Talk about a plot twist.
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Was it a "Roman Salute" or Something Else?
Right after the video went viral, a new term started trending: the Roman salute.
Supporters, including Musk’s own advisor Andrea Stroppa, suggested that Elon was just throwing back to ancient Rome. The idea is that it’s a gesture of "honor" or "glory." It sounds classy, right? Except most historians say the Roman salute is basically a historical myth. There’s almost no evidence the actual Romans did it. It was actually popularized in 19th-century plays and then—crucially—adopted by Mussolini and Hitler.
So, even if he intended it as a Roman salute, the historical baggage is the same. You can't really separate the two.
Musk’s own response to the "why did elon nazi salute" outcry was classic Elon. He didn't apologize. He didn't explain the mechanics of his arm. He just tweeted that his critics need "better dirty tricks" and that the "everyone is Hitler" attack is "sooo tired." He basically treated the whole thing like a boring meme he’d seen one too many times.
The Autism and "Awkwardness" Defense
There's another angle here that a lot of people are debating. Elon has been open about having Asperger’s (now referred to as being on the autism spectrum). If you’ve watched him long enough, you know he moves... differently. He jumps weird. He dances weird.
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Some of his defenders say this was just a "glitch."
- The "Heart" Theory: Before the arm went up, he hit his chest. Some say he was trying to say "my heart goes out to you" and just ended the movement in a really unfortunate, stiff-armed way.
- The Over-Excitement Factor: He was on a massive stage, at a peak political moment he helped fund with $200 million. Adrenaline does weird things to body language.
- The "Edgelord" Factor: Honestly, we have to consider if he did it because he knew it would cause a stir. Musk loves "owning the libs." If he can do something that looks like a salute but gives him "plausible deniability," that's kind of his brand.
Why the Context Matters (The AfD Connection)
You can't look at the salute in a vacuum. If a random guy at a grocery store does that, maybe he’s just stretching. But Musk has been cozying up to some very specific political groups lately.
He’s been vocal about his support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD). In Germany, the AfD is under constant surveillance because of its ties to extremist ideologies. When the richest man in the world—who owns a massive megaphone like X—starts echoing the talking points of far-right European parties, people stop giving him the "benefit of the doubt."
Even his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, chimed in on Threads, saying it was "definitely a Nazi salute." When your own family is calling you out, the "it was just an accident" excuse starts to feel a bit thin to the general public.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Controversy
The biggest misconception is that there’s a "smoking gun" explanation. There isn't.
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If you hate Elon, you see a fascist. If you love Elon, you see a guy being bullied for a clumsy wave. The real issue isn't just the hand movement—it's the normalization. When gestures like this happen on a global stage and the response is a shrug or a joke, it changes what is "acceptable" in public discourse.
Historians are worried because this is how taboos break. First, it’s a "joke." Then it’s "ironic." Then it’s just... there.
What Really Happened With the ADL?
It was honestly weird to see the ADL defend him. Usually, they are the ones sounding the alarm. But remember: Musk visited Auschwitz with Ben Shapiro earlier in 2024. He’s made a concerted effort to show he isn't anti-Semitic. Some think the ADL was trying to protect that relationship rather than spark a war with the guy who controls the "digital town square."
Others, like former ADL director Abraham Foxman, totally disagreed with the current leadership. He called it a "Heil Hitler" salute, plain and simple. The internal drama at the ADL just goes to show how divisive this single moment actually was.
Actions You Can Take to Filter the Noise
Politics is noisy. Elon is noisier. If you're trying to make sense of why he did what he did, don't just rely on a 5-second TikTok clip.
- Watch the full 2-minute speech. Look at the body language before and after the gesture. Does it look fluid or intentional?
- Look at the "Roman Salute" history. Understanding that this gesture was "rebranded" by fascists helps you see why the "it's just Roman" excuse doesn't hold much water with historians.
- Check the sources. Media outlets on the left and right framed this totally differently. Read a German news outlet (like Der Spiegel or Deutsche Welle) to see how it was received in a country where that history is much more "present."
- Follow the money. Look at who Musk is supporting in Europe and the US. Sometimes the "why" behind a gesture is found in the policy, not the palm.
At the end of the day, we might never get a "confession" or a "correction." Elon Musk operates in a world where he creates his own reality. Whether it was a mistake or a message, the fact that we’re even having the conversation shows how much the boundaries of political behavior have shifted.
The most important thing is to stay critical. Don't let a "dirty tricks" tweet stop you from asking why a gesture banned in half the Western world just appeared on an American stage. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s at least worth asking why it’s hanging out in the pond.