Elon Musk Fanboys Are Dared To Show Just How Far Their Fealty Goes
When is a Nazi salute not a Nazi salute? Apparently when Elon Musk does it.
The tech mogul managed to divide social media on Monday after he gave a salute to President Donald Trump at the inauguration that looked suspiciously like the trademark “Heil Hitler” salute used by the Nazis in World War II.
Musk’s gesture, which CNN anchor Erin Burnett called “odd-looking,” looked like a Nazi salute to many, but others, such as Elise Stefanik, Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, and the Anti-Defamation League either defended him or minimized the gesture.
So did Musk, who took to his X platform to tweet, “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.
The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired 😴 https://t.co/9fIqS5mWA0— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
Others took the “if it walks like a duck” approach to Musk’s polarizing gesture.
If giving the Nazi "Sieg Heil" salute was an Olympic event like gymnastics, Elon Musk would've received a perfect score of 10. Musk even nailed the facial expression. Seriously, Hitler would be jealous. 😳👇 pic.twitter.com/nBxl1Gn1nx
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) January 20, 2025
Within hours of Donald Trump taking the oath of office, billionaire Elon Musk gave the Nazi salute during his speech at an inauguration rally.
It was not an accident or a mistake, he did it twice.
Way to go America 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/5NjaU5xF1w— Gabe Sanchez (@iamgabesanchez) January 20, 2025
To all the people claiming Elon Musk wasn’t doing a Nazi salute, you should tell that to all the Nazis, who are in no way confused about it. https://t.co/MyL6TxHSLNpic.twitter.com/7u8LX0smxN
— Jim Stewartson, Antifascist 🇺🇸🇺🇦🏴☠️ (@jimstewartson) January 21, 2025
Considering opinion seemed divided on social media, some folks decided the best way to prove or disprove whether Musk’s Trump salute was Nazi-inspired was to issue a challenge to his supporters.
Quite a few people trolled Musk fans by noting that if Musk’s salute wasn’t Nazi-inspired, then his fans will have no problem posting their own photos doing it as well.
"If you're at work, do it now and see what happens..."
James O'Brien has a challenge for anyone that doesn't think Elon Musk performed a Nazi salute at the inauguration. pic.twitter.com/3zIFzQENy9— LBC (@LBC) January 21, 2025
If this isn’t a Nazi salute, I dare you to do it while at work! 🤮 pic.twitter.com/qe4ss7hZWW
— Kent Luetzen (@KentLuetzen) January 21, 2025
if you think it wasn't a blatant Nazi Salute, I'm begging you to take a video of yourself doing it and post it. If you're that confident it's not wrong - post it. Hell, let's send it to your employer. Slap that chest and throw your arm out, I'm trying to see something
— tay (@tayylorrmaee) January 21, 2025
As of Tuesday afternoon, it didn’t appear as if anyone had taken the bait and posted their own Nazi salutes on social media.
However, one person did feel compelled to note on X that the platform hadn’t edited or censored any posts attacking Musk for the gesture.
A true testament to free speech:
my timeline is full of people claiming @elonmusk did a Nazi salute - on the platform owned by @elonmusk. Not a single post censored or edited.
Takes serious stamina to let people say that about you in your own house.— Nicolas Mrtns (@nicolasmertens) January 21, 2025
