The swearing-in of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States marked the end of an inauguration filled with bizarre and unsettling moments. From the presence of Silicon Valley moguls like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos to pop culture icons like Carrie Underwood and podcast host Joe Rogan, the event was a spectacle. But nothing drew more controversy than tech billionaire Elon Musk's behaviour during his speech at the Capitol One Arena, where he was seen making the Nazi salute — at least two times.
Musk had taken the stage to thank Republican supporters for their loyalty. His speech, though, quickly became the subject of intense backlash due to his bizarre gesture. Social media exploded with accusations that Musk had done the ‘Sieg Heil’ salute, a gesture associated with Nazi Germany. In an event already loaded with strange moments — like Zuckerberg's awkward stares at Lauren Sanchez’s cleavage and Usha Vance’s unsettling smile — it was Musk’s salute that captured the most attention.
The reaction on social media was immediate and vocal. “The people cheering louder makes my skin crawl,” one user remarked, expressing fear for the future. “I'm so scared for what our future is going to be. The fact he did it TWICE,” another added, underlining the level of shock Musk's actions stirred up. Several others, especially from Germany, expressed disbelief at what they had witnessed, with one user writing, “As a German, I'm literally speechless right now. This country is going down as is, but I just cannot believe this.”
{{/usCountry}}The reaction on social media was immediate and vocal. “The people cheering louder makes my skin crawl,” one user remarked, expressing fear for the future. “I'm so scared for what our future is going to be. The fact he did it TWICE,” another added, underlining the level of shock Musk's actions stirred up. Several others, especially from Germany, expressed disbelief at what they had witnessed, with one user writing, “As a German, I'm literally speechless right now. This country is going down as is, but I just cannot believe this.”
{{/usCountry}}Others took a more sarcastic approach to comment on the surreal nature of the moment. “Within hours of Donald Trump taking the oath of office, billionaire Elon Musk gave the Nazi salute during his speech at an inauguration rally. It was not an accident or a mistake, he did it twice. Way to go America,” one tweet read. Many observers drew parallels between Musk’s gesture and his family background, pointing out his heritage, as his grandfather had links to the Nazi party. “Grandson of Nazi party members, Elon Musk, throwing up Nazi salutes at the US presidential inauguration while the crowd of Republicans go wild with applause and cheers,” one comment noted.
During his speech, Musk seemed to praise the Republican crowd, saying, “My heart goes out to you... It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you. We’re gonna have safe cities, finally safe cities. Secure borders, sensible spending. Basic stuff. And we’re gonna take ‘Doge’ to Mars.” But the focus soon shifted from his words to the disturbing physical gesture, sparking widespread condemnation from netizens around the globe.