It seems like every time Elon Musk does something, the internet explodes.
This time, it’s all about a hand gesture he made during a rally celebrating Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
During his speech at Capital One Arena, Musk raised his arm with his palm facing down while thanking the crowd for their support.
“I just want to say thank you for making it happen,” Musk said.
He repeated the gesture, and that set off a social media storm. Some people thought it looked like a Nazi salute, while others said it was just Musk being Musk.
Enter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC).
Never one to shy away from the spotlight, AOC slammed the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for defending Musk, calling the gesture a “Heil Hitler salute.”
She accused the ADL of covering for Musk and claimed they were cozying up to Trump and his allies. Her take? Musk did it on purpose, and repeating it just made it worse.
But not everyone agrees with AOC.
Some folks think she’s overreacting, reading too much into an awkward moment. Others say she’s just looking for another way to attack Trump and his supporters.
The ADL wasn’t having any of it.
They quickly put out a statement saying Musk’s gesture was nothing more than an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm.”
According to them, people should give him the benefit of the doubt and not jump to conclusions. In their view, Musk was just excited, not sending any sinister signals.
Social media lit up like a Christmas tree, with people taking sides.
Some saw it as clear evidence that Musk is leaning into extremist ideology. Others chalked it up to Musk’s well-known social awkwardness, pointing out that he’s been open about having Asperger’s.
And let’s not forget the political angle.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford – now running for governor and who joined a lawsuit on Tuesday to block President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship – hopped on the partisan bandwagon and told the Las Vegas Sun that it’s “not lost on me that the same day of his inauguration, one of his closest allies did the Hitler salute.”
Also, Musk is now the head of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency.”
That connection has folks on the left even more suspicious, while Musk’s supporters see it as proof he’s working to fix the government, not push fascist agendas.
Critics of AOC say she’s being a hypocrite.
They point out that she’s stayed silent when similar gestures were made by people on her side of the aisle. They argue this is just another political stunt to go after Musk and Trump.
This you?? pic.twitter.com/drzsBM8Fa0 https://t.co/4YpY5ZDdsL
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 22, 2025
At the end of the day, this whole dust-up is about more than just a hand gesture. It shows how divided we are as a country.
\Whether it’s about Musk, Trump, or AOC, people are looking at the same moment and seeing totally different things.
One thing’s for sure—this isn’t the last time Elon Musk or AOC will make headlines. And as long as the culture wars rage on, moments like this will keep popping up.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
