Featured Image Credit: ANGELA WEISS/Getty/vivllainous/Instagram
Topics: Elon Musk, LGBTQ, US News, Donald Trump, Politics, Social Media
Joe Yates
Topics: Elon Musk, LGBTQ, US News, Donald Trump, Politics, Social Media
Three days have passed since Elon Musk was accused of making a 'Nazi salute' on two separate occasions while addressing Trump supporters, and his estranged daughter has touched on the gesture.
On Monday (January 20), President Donald Trump was sworn into office for the second time and afterwards, during the rally at his inauguration, he spoke to his adoring fans.
Of course, the world's richest man was in attendance. Musk has been named, alongside the former Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, as the head of a new Department of Government Efficiency.
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Musk controversially made the gesture on stage at the inauguration, immediately after saying: "Thank you for making it happen. Thank you, my heart goes out to you."
The billionaire has since denied this was his intention, and other defenders have argued he was doing a Roman salute, or was 'giving his heart to the crowd'.
Taking to Instagram's social media platform Threads, Musk's transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, wrote: "I'm just gonna say let's call a spade a f***ing spade. Especially if there were two spades done in succession based on the reaction of the first spade."
After appearing to make a 'Nazi salute', he then repeated the gesture again.
Wilson also posted: "I don't know why y'all are reacting with such vigor, I'm clearly only talking about card suits. I mean I have ADHD and this was CLEARLY just an accident that people happened to interpret to mean something other than just card suits.
"After all, there's no proof I'm not just talking about card suits. Y'know... people assuming that I'm not just talking about card suits just goes to show how dishonest people/the media can be."
Musk has since hit out at Wikipedia for comparing his gesture to a Nazi salute. Defending his actions, he wrote: "Since legacy media propaganda is considered a 'valid' source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!"
The page in question read: “Musk thumped his right hand over his heart, fingers spread wide, and then extended his right arm out, emphatically, at an upward angle, palm down and fingers together.
He then repeated the gesture to the crowd on his back. As he finished the gestures, he said to the crowd, 'My heart goes out to you'.
"The gesture was viewed as a Nazi salute or Roman salute by many, including politicians Yolanda Díaz, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Jerry Nadler, as well as historian of fascism Ruth Ben-Ghiat."
Despite the accusations against Musk, the Anti-Defamation League defended the South African billionaire.
In a statement on Twitter, the organization said: "It seems that [Musk] make an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people on edge."