ADL, which had defended Musk, takes issue with his Nazi puns

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit committed to fighting antisemitism, criticized tech billionaire Elon Musk for his social media post Thursday that used Nazi puns to taunt those who accused him of making a fascist salute at an event following President Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

In the social media post on Thursday, Musk referenced names of Nazi Party leaders who aided in the extermination of European Jews, including Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering and Heinrich Himmler.

“Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Gőring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler!” Musk wrote on the social platform X, which he owns.

“Bet you did nazi that coming,” he added, with a laughing emoji.

The ADL, which previously defended Musk’s “awkward gesture,” chided him for the lighthearted post about the Holocaust.

“We've said it hundreds of times before and we will say it again: the Holocaust was a singularly evil event, and it is inappropriate and offensive to make light of it,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said on X, responding to Musk’s post.

“@elonmusk, the Holocaust is not a joke,” Greenblatt continued.

The official ADL account on X reposted Greenblatt’s statement and added: “Making inappropriate and highly offensive jokes that trivialize the Holocaust only serve to minimize the evil and inhumanity of Nazi crimes, denigrate the suffering of both victims and survivors and insult the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Shoah.”

The statements come as Musk’s controversial gesture on Monday continues to garner significant attention and has become divisive among relevant public figures.

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 straight across his chest, from left to right. 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.”

The ADL was one voice that defended Musk, describing the moment on Monday as “an awkward gesture” and encouraging the public to extend “a bit of grace” before rushing to conclusions.

“This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety,” said the ADL, which has at times found itself at odds with Musk over policies on X that have coincided with a rise in antisemitic comments on the platform.

“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 ADL continued. “In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath.”

The ADL faced some blowback for its defense of Musk’s gesture, especially from progressives, who have been critical of the ADL this past year for its response to Israel’s war in Gaza.

“Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Monday on X. “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.”

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