Updated 08:06 IST, January 24th 2025
Internet Digs Out French President Macron's Video Amid Elon Musk's 'Nazi Salute' Controversy, Tesla CEO Reacts
The controversy began when Musk made a similar arm gesture looked like a Nazi salute at Trump's inauguration rally.

Washington: The ‘Nazi Salute Controversy’ involving Elon Musk is still a hot topic online, and now a new post has brought French President Emmanuel Macron into the conversation.
Elon Musk recently reacted to a viral post featuring French President Emmanuel Macron, where Macron was seen tapping his chest with his hands before extending one arm straight up to wave to the crowd, similar like what Musk did at Trump's inauguration rally speech.
The tweet said, “Did anyone accuse President Macron of being a Nazi?”
Musk also retweeted the post and said, "Seriously' over the kind of speculation people are doing over the normal gesture.
The controversy began when Musk made a similar arm gesture during an inauguration event. Critics online compared the pose to a Nazi salute, sparking backlash and heated debates across social media. Musk later dismissed these allegations, calling them baseless and absurd, but the incident left a mark on public discussions.
“I just want to say thank you for making it happen,” Musk said during a speech at Capital One Arena, referring to Donald Trump ’s victory in the presidential election. Then he slapped his hand on his chest, extended his arm straight out and up with his palm facing down.
“My heart goes out to you,” said Musk, after turning around to make a similar gesture facing the other way.
Many social media users noticed that the gesture looked like a Nazi salute. Musk has only fanned the flames of suspicion by not explicitly denying those claims in a dozen posts since, though he did make light of the criticism and lashed out at people making that interpretation.
Published 07:53 IST, January 24th 2025