Here’s a condensed 180-word version:
Elon Musk faced backlash after accusations of performing a “Nazi salute” during Donald Trump’s second-term inauguration on January 20. Musk, who used his platform X (formerly Twitter) to support Trump’s campaign, attended the event in Washington, D.C., where he stirred controversy with a gesture involving a chest thump and a raised arm. The gesture followed his speech about sending humans to Mars and planting an American flag on the Red Planet.
CNN’s Kasie Hunt described the gesture as “evocative of troubling historical imagery,” sparking online outrage. Critics on X accused Musk of delivering a “Sieg Heil,” while the Anti-Defamation League defended him, stating it was “an awkward gesture made in enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the ADL, calling Musk’s actions deliberate, while Musk dismissed her remarks, claiming she had “lost her marbles.” Social media users debated the controversy, with some defending Musk and criticizing overuse of Nazi comparisons.
Musk responded to the uproar with sarcasm, calling such attacks tired and ineffective. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ narrative is overplayed,” he wrote, urging for more thoughtful discourse moving forward.
