Elon Musk was among the many Donald Trump supporters and appointees present in Washington DC for Monday’s inauguration ceremony, and even gave a speech during the rally event later that afternoon.
His speech quickly went viral online, mainly because he appeared to give a Nazi salute while thanking the crowd for their support. The moment came shortly before 3 pm ET.
“Some elections are important, others are not. But this one, this one really mattered and I just want to thank you for making it possible,” he said. After doing so, Musk placed the hand of his right arm on his chest and pushed it hard, with his fingers together and palm facing down, much like the salute used at Nazi rallies to show support for Adolf Hitler.
“My heart goes out to you,” he said, after saluting for the second time. “Thanks to you the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you”.
Watch the moment via PBS below.
One social media user even created an image of Musk and Hitler doing the gesture, writing: “This is absolutely incredible. That thumb and that hand are perfectly rigid and his arm is at exactly the same angle.”
Many were incredulous at the audacity of the act, and one of them wrote: “That moment will live in infamy.”
“You all know what he just did. Don’t try to hide from it,” wrote another. “Our unelected co-president just celebrated his theft of our government with a Nazi salute. This is what we have been warning you for 10 years. “Well, it’s here.”
musk has a history of making nazi jokes on social media, and in September, the X CEO promoted former Fox Information host Tucker Carlson’s widely condemned interview with a Nazi apologist (but later deleted the post, in an unusual move for the billionaire).
He also received criticism earlier this month, when held a live event at X with a leader of the far-right, anti-immigrant German political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD).
You can see more reactions to Musk’s move below.
