Elon Musk and his chequered past of Nazi references: Hand gesture at Trump rally to Alice Weidel interview
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X, has faced repeated scrutiny for his controversial engagements involving Nazi references
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X, has faced repeated scrutiny for his controversial engagements involving Nazi references and far-right politics. Most recently, Musk has come under scrutiny for his hand gesture at Donald Trump’s rally on January 20, which many compared to the Nazi salute.
Musk appeared to give a fascist-style salute at the podium, raising one hand to eye level. The incident at Trump’s rally is not the first time Musk has found himself embroiled in controversy over Nazi-related symbolism and rhetoric. The world’s richest man recently raised eyebrows when he endorsed Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party while criticising other world leaders like those of UK and France.
Here is a brief overview of Musk’s past entanglement with Nazi controversies:
Alice Weidel interview
In the second week of January 2025, Musk hosted a live chat with Germany’s far-right candidate Alice Weidel on his X social media site, which basically amounted to an endorsement of her AfD party. According to Bloomberg, the X spaces event was Musk’s latest foray into European politics, where he has become a loud advocate for far-right parties.
Pro-Nazi content on X
As the owner of X, one of the world’s most widely used social media networks, Musk holds extraordinary power in shaping public discourse. However, since his takeover of X (formerly Twitter), critics have noted how pro-Nazi content has flourished on the platform.
An April 2024 report from NBC News found at least 150 paid “Premium” or verified X accounts amplifying Nazi propaganda. Musk had also reinstated the X accounts of prominent neo-Nazis Andrew Anglin and Nick Fuentes.
Hitler comparison and Musk’s reaction
In October 2024, German magazine Der Spiegel equated Musk to Adolf Hitler, calling him a public enemy. The Tesla boss responded with Nazi wordplay.
“Well, I did Nazi that coming! Those fools will Goebbels anything down… I bet their pronouns are He/Himmler!” he wrote.
Visiting Auschwitz
In what was widely perceived as a redemptive gesture for past accusations of antisemitism, Elon Musk visited the site of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in January 2024. Musk laid a wreath at the wall of death and also participated in a memorial ceremony.