Elon Musk.
AFP
An international controversy
On X, his own platform, Musk reacted with irony. “Frankly, they need best dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is so worn out,” he wrote, lambasting his detractors.
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This gesture was widely commented on, notably by experts and political figures. The historian Claire Aubin, a specialist in Nazism in the United States, believes that this gesture is indeed a ” Sieg Heil “just like Ruth Ben-Ghiat, another expert on fascism, who speaks of a salvation ” aggressive “.
Between defense and conviction
Several international media outlets, such as the Israeli daily Haaretz and the British The Guardian, also reported that Musk appeared to perform a “fascist salute”. Political figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or former elected official Cori Bush strongly denounced his behavior, not hesitating to mock the businessman.
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is so tired. »
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However, not everyone shares this opinion. The ADL association, known for its fight against anti-Semitism, defended Elon Musk, believing that it was a “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm”and not a Nazi salute. An opinion which was immediately contested by several figures of the American left.
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A political strategy?
For his part, historian Aaron Astor pointed out that, although he regularly criticizes Musk for his tolerance of neo-Nazis on X, this gesture cannot be qualified as a Nazi salute. Rather, he evokes an awkward hand signal coming from a man he describes as “socially different”.
This controversy comes as Elon Musk multiplies the statements in favor of the extreme right. He has recently supported the German AfD party, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the British anti-immigration Reform UK party. Some see it as an assumed strategy of rapprochement with this movement, fueling suspicion around his gesture.
