Neo-Nazis Online Celebrate Elon Musk’s Alleged Fascist Salute: 'Keep Doing Those Romans Elon'

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January 23, 2025

On January 20, 2025, during a speech at a post-inauguration rally, Elon Musk placed his right hand flat on his chest before extruding his arm forwards and upwards in a way that resembled a fascist, Nazi, or Roman salute, before turning around and performing the same gesture again. Videos and photos of the moment during Musk's speech proliferated online, with people on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, Gab, Instagram, and more debating whether Musk intentionally performed a fascist salute or if the moment was simply an "awkward gesture." Neo-Nazis and white supremacists broadly celebrated the move.

Several Jewish organizations and individuals, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and individual rabbis, came to Musk's defense, stating that they did not believe that the gesture was a Nazi salute.

The following report will provide an overview of reactions to Musk's gesture from neo-Nazis and white supremacists from countries including the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, France, Russia, and others.

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Neo-Nazis Celebrate Alleged Fascist Salute By Musk

A Canadian neo-Nazi posted a video on January 20 of Musk performing the salute. In the video, Musk is superimposed over a video of a rally in Nazi Germany as well as a glowing swastika. The neo-Nazi captioned the post, "Elon is fired right up for Trumps fourth Reich."

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On Gab, a neo-Nazi user shared a video on January 20 in a neo-Nazi group which shows X CEO Elon Musk purportedly giving a fascist salute during his speech. The user added: " ELON MUSK mimics NATIONAL-SOCIALIST ROMAN SALUTE during TRUMP'S inauguration... Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer! Sieg Heil!!! #donaldtrump #trump #elonmusk Guys and Gals are we so back???"

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