Elon Musk responded to criticism of his gesture during a post-inauguration speech on Monday, saying those comparing it to a Nazi salute were deploying “dirty tricks.”
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks,” Musk wrote on X, responding to a post describing the “salute hoax” as “just another part of the ‘dirty tricks campaign.’”
“The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” Musk added, with a sleeping emoticon.
Addressing a large crowd on Monday, Musk thanked attendees for electing Trump in November. He then grabbed the left side of his chest with his right hand and extended the arm across his chest and at a slightly raised angle. He turned around and made the gesture again.
“My heart goes out to you,” Musk said after making the gesture. “And it’s thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.”
Some Democrats have blasted Musk over the gesture, while the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has come to the billionaire’s defense.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) was among the first national political figures to criticize the SpaceX and Tesla CEO for the cross-body salute.
“I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) wrote in a post on X.
“I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.”
However, the ADL warned against jumping to conclusions during a “delicate moment.”
“It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the group wrote on X.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) accused the ADL of “defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.”
“People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all,” she wrote on X.
Musk, the richest man in the world and the leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, has raised eyebrows in recent weeks with his embrace of far-right political parties in Europe, including the Alternative for Germany party.
