Elon Musk Brushes off 'Nazi' Hand Gesture Scandal By Claiming 'Every Politician' Has Flashed the Führer Salute
Elon Musk is tired of being called a Nazi, and he made that very clear in a new interview.
May 21 2025, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Elon Musk is doubling down after a hand gesture he did on Donald Trump's inauguration day led plenty to compare it to the Nazi salute, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Tesla boss defended himself in a sit-down interview with CNBC.
Musk rejected the Nazi rumors that have surrounded him for months.
During the interview, the network's David Faber noted to Musk that "there are a lot of people who dislike you, some of whom were your customers," and asked the billionaire if leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was worth it.
"What I've learned is that legacy media propaganda is very effective at making you believe things that aren't true," Musk said, and then shared one rumor that spread like wildfire: "That I'm a Nazi."
He added: "And how many legacy media publications... tried to claim that I was a Nazi because of some random hand gesture at a rally? All I said was that 'my heart goes out to you,' and I was talking about space travel."
Musk's Defense
The 53-year-old then claimed, "In fact, every politician, any public speaker who has spoken for any length of time has made the exact same gesture."
Faber, in his attempt to back up Musk, then responded and claimed he reached out to some of Musk's close friends about rumors he's a Nazi, and "all of them were like... 'no way.'"
"Of course not!" Musk added.
The Gesture That Rocked The World
In January 2025, during Trump's celebration of his second presidential term, Musk took time to boast about the victory in a speech, which concluded when he placed his right hand over his heart, and then shot it into the air, at a very specific angle.
The comparisons to the recognizable Nazi pledge was immediately pointed out on Musk's platform X, with one claiming at the time: "Elon doing the a Nazi salute on stage in front cameras two seconds into Trump’s presidency because he knows they’ll be no repercussions because he’s bought the American government..."
Musk was quick to respond, as he hit back: "The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is so tired."
Musk's gesture and wild behavior has led to plenty of backlash and protests.
The anti-defamation league would call it a "delicate moment," and stressed, "It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge..."
Despite this, plenty of right-wing extremists hopped on Musk's bandwagon and praised the businessman.
Keith Woods, a white nationalist, said following the gesture: “Maybe woke really is dead," as right-wing commentator Evan Kilgore also commented, "Did Elon Musk just Heil Hitler? We are so back."
A chapter of the white nationalist group White Lives Matter also posted on Telegram: “The White Flame will rise again."
Tesla Feels the Burn
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Musk's "Nazi" gesture, as well as his attachment to Trump, rocked his car company, Tesla, leading to protests, some violent, and even death threats sent his way.
On Tuesday, May, 21, Musk appeared in a virtual interview at the Qatar Economic Forum to respond to the wave of protests, and said: "I'm not somebody who has ever committed violence. And yet, massive violence was committed against my companies, and massive violence was threatened against me."
"Who are these people? Why would they do that? How wrong can they be?" Musk added.
The billionaire's attachment to Donald Trump has also hurt him.
Musk said: "They're on the wrong side of history. And that's an evil thing to do. To go and damage some poor innocent person's car. To threaten to kill me. What's wrong with these people? I've not harmed anyone."
The controversial personality then made clear he was coming after all of the culprits: "Don't worry, we're coming for you," he said while pointing at the screen.
