United States, day 1, Musk extends his arm, Trump points out enemies: “striking” similarities with Mussolini’s policies

Washington 2025 or Rome 1923? Between a fascist salute from second president, Elon Musk, and a decree aimed at bringing recalcitrant civil servants into line, the first day of the Trump administration took sepia notes referring to the birth of authoritarian, even fascist, regimes. Historical comparison is never right, but the attitude of the richest man in the world in the face of an audience of galvanized supporters leaves a bitter taste to say the least.

Elon Musk had just attended Donald Trump’s swearing-in, acting like a spoiled child with a gift he was expecting when the latter promised to “plant the star-spangled banner on Mars”. On the stage of the Capital One Arena, where Trumpist fans had been repatriated due to a cold snap, he appeared, as usual, euphoric, if not elated, in a disjointed speech.

For Musk fans, an awkward gesture and not a fascist salute

Then he struck his chest with his right hand and extended his arm with his open palm facing down. Once, then twice, repeating the gesture while turning towards the other part of the audience, who had gone behind him. “It seemed like he had been holding it inside for a while and was finally able to let it golaunched former Democratic elected official Cori Bush on X. As if he had practiced in front of the mirror to find the exact angle. »

Flying to the multi-billionaire’s rescue, historian Aaron Astor, quoted by the British daily The Guardian, believes that “This gesture is not a Nazi salute. This is a socially awkward hand signal from an autistic man where he says to the crowd “my heart goes out to you”.

The applicant reacted casually, suggesting to his detractors to find “best twists”. Yet the only real debate among almost all historians seems to be whether this is a Nazi or fascist salute. The reaction of many far-right personalities, like the columnist Evan Kilgore, who welcomed a gesture ” amazing “speaks for itself.

A gesture in line with its policy

It doesn’t matter whether he is a Nazi or fascist, in the end, so obvious is the power of the marker, as the South African-born entrepreneur has officially supported the AfD in Germany, the British anti-immigration party Reform UK in England and maintains politically close ties with the far-right Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and has made her X account, a company owned by her, a stronghold on the ideological front line.

Above all, the gesture is concomitant with the signing of a series of decrees, including the reinstatement of Annex F, suspended during the Biden administration, which aims to take control of the federal administration. It makes it possible to change the status of tens of thousands of federal civil servants, by reclassifying them as political appointees, thus favoring their rapid dismissal.

This decree considerably broadens the scope of the “spoiler system”, which since the presidency of Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) has allowed a new administration to appoint loyalists to certain positions deemed key. This provision was included in Project 2025, the sweeping plan for a second Trump administration orchestrated by the Heritage Foundation, an ultraconservative think tank, which calls for officials deemed politically unreliable to be fired and replaced by conservatives with impeccable pedigrees.

Dismemberment of the state apparatus

The civil servants who occupy these key positions would therefore have the alternative of blind obedience to the decisions of the Trump administration, while they are responsible for public service missions, or departure.

Russell Vought, the candidate designated by Donald Trump to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, was one of the main architects of Project 2025. And it is Elon Musk, again, who will chair to the “state reform”a portmanteau that hides cuts in budgets, the redirection of public money (towards Space state, with the political interests of Trumpism as its only compass, rather than a dismemberment.

For the expert historian of fascism, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, cited by the New York Timesthe similarities between Project 2025 and the “laws for the defense of the state” of Mussolini are “striking”. With or without a fascist salute from Elon Musk.