Neo-Nazis are celebrating after Elon Musk made two Nazi-like salutes during a speech to tens of thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters on Monday.
Hours after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Musk said: "Elections come and go, some are important and some are not, but this election It’s really important.” "I just want to say thank you for making this happen. Thank you."
At this time, Musk placed his right hand on his chest, and then stretched it out straight, with his palm facing down and his fingers touching. This gesture is widely considered to be the "Roman salute." It was adopted by fascist movements a century ago, most notably by Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi Party, and is still associated with the fascist right, especially in Italy.
After he first made the gesture, Musk turned to the crowd seated behind him, with his back to the camera, and repeated the gesture.
"My heart goes out to you," Musk added.
Musk later shared a clip of his speech on
Musk, X and the Trump administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The response from the global neo-Nazi community was immediate and unanimous.
“The unbelievable has happened,” Andrew Torba, founder of Gab, a social media platform popular with anti-Semites and white supremacists, wrote on a photo of Musk saluting road.
“The whole neo-Nazi movement seems to be eating it up,” said Nick Martin, an investigative journalist who closely tracks extremist groups and runs the online publication The Informant. "He gave two clear Nazi salutes and they got the message across loud and clear."
"We are back," the administrator of a Telegram Nazi meme channel wrote under a video of Musk saluting. Members of the group responded with a lightning bolt emoji, a well-known neo-Nazi term for the SS.
Christopher Pohlhaus, the leader of the American neo-Nazi group "Blood Tribe", wrote on his Telegram channel with a GIF of Musk: "I don't care if this is a mistake, I will enjoy this. Tears shed. "Salute."
Keith Wood, a well-known far-right influencer from Ireland who has repeatedly praised Musk, wrote on X: "Well, maybe Wake is really dead."
Right-wing political commentator Evan Kilgore wrote on "We're back," Kilgore later wrote.
Kilgore was a Holocaust denier who served as Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA ambassador. The conservative activist group hosted a pre-inauguration ball Sunday night, with attendees including J.D. Vance, who takes office today as vice president, and the president's son, Donald Trump Jr.
Over the past two years, Musk has embraced far-right ideologies and figures around the world, including jailed British Islamophobic activist Tommy Robinson. Most recently, he promoted the development of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party. Earlier this month, in an hour-long interview with party leader Alice Weidel, Musk agreed with the wild conspiracy theory that Hitler was a communist.