Nadler condemns 'what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute' from Musk

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) was among those who sharply criticized billionaire Elon Musk on Monday for making "what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute" during an event celebrating the inauguration of President Trump.

“I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,” Nadler wrote in a post on X, responding to a video of Musk’s speech at the Capital One Arena in Washington after Trump was sworn into office.

“This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history,” he continued. “I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.”

Nadler’s was one of many voices slamming the cross-body salute the SpaceX and Tesla CEO made with his arm during his D.C. speech.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

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.

Addressing a large crowd on Monday, he 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.”

Some have defended Musk, noting he made the gesture just before telling the audience that his heart goes out to them and saying it was meant to be evocative of that.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit committed to fighting antisemitism, described the moment as “an awkward gesture” and encouraged 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 his policies on X that 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 statement continued.

Several liberals online disagreed. MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former top adviser to former Vice President Harris, pushed back on the ADL’s suggestion to give “grace.”

“I just want to note for everyone that the Nazi’s [sic] saw the Musk gesture and thought it was one of their salutes, but everyone from Tesla investors, to elected officials and the ADL suggest we give him grace because it was likely just an awkward gesture,” Sanders-Townsend wrote on X. “Y’all do with that what you will!”

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a renowned authoritarian scholar, chimed in, saying on X, “Historian of fascism here. That was a Nazi salute - and a very belligerent one too.”

Some media outlets have faced criticism for their coverage of the moment.

PBS News’s “Newshour” posted a clip of the video, describing the moment as Musk giving “what appeared to be a fascist salute.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) responded by threatening PBS's funding and saying she intends to call representatives of the news show before her subcommittee.

“As the Chairwoman of the Oversight Subcommittee on DOGE, I look forward to PBS @NewsHour coming before my committee and explaining why lying and spreading propaganda to serve the Democrat party and attack Republicans is a good use of taxpayer funds. We will be in touch soon,” Greene wrote on X.

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