On Tuesday, billionaire tech magnate Elon Musk said his detractors needed “better dirty tricks” after he came under fire for a motion he made at an inauguration event for President Donald Trump, which some people compared to a Nazi salute.
The Anti-Defamation League, a group founded to combat antisemitism and which has criticized Musk previously, also spoke in his defense.
The head of X, SpaceX, and Tesla appeared on stage at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., where supporters of the newly sworn-in president had gathered for a rally.
As he thanked the crowd for returning Trump to the White House, Musk tapped the left side of his chest with his right hand and then reached out his arm with his palm open, repeating the gesture for those seated behind him.
Historian Claire Aubin, who focuses on the study of Nazism in the United States, used the Musk-owned X platform to describe the act as a “sieg heil,” or Nazi salute.
“My professional opinion is that you’re all right, you should believe your eyes,” Aubin posted, echoing observers who believed the movement to be a clear Nazi reference.
But Musk later posted on X that his opponents needed “better dirty tricks.”
“The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” he said.
“It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,” the ADL said in a statement posted on X.
Another historian, Aaron Astor, also rejected claims that Musk was mimicking a Nazi gesture.
“I have criticized Elon Musk many times for letting neo-Nazis pollute this platform,” he wrote on X, adding: “But this gesture is not a Nazi salute.”
“This is a socially awkward autistic man’s wave to the crowd where he says ‘my heart goes out to you.'”
Musk disclosed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
A rally attendee told AFP he believed Musk’s action was intended humorously.
“He’s very humorous, and he uses a lot of sarcasm. So when he did that on the stage, I don’t think he meant it,” said Brandon Galambos, a 29-year-old pastor and tech employee.
{Matzav.com}