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Lev Topor

If It Looks Like a Duck – It’s a Nazi Salute, Elon

Musk's Online Soldiers. Created with Dall-E.

Elon Musk has once again found himself at the center of controversy, this time over a gesture many observers have likened to a Nazi salute. To be clear – I also identify this as a Sieg Heil, even though Musk did not note it was such a salute. He should clearly denounce it! The incident occurred on January 20, 2025, when Musk addressed a crowd of Donald Trump supporters at Washington DC’s Capitol One Arena, raising serious questions about the messages he is conveying—intentionally or otherwise—and the ideologies his actions may be endorsing.

During his speech, Musk placed his right hand on his chest before extending it diagonally upward, palm facing downward. He then repeated the motion as he turned to address the audience behind him, saying, “My heart goes out to you.” This sequence of movements resembles many as disturbingly similar to a Nazi salute. Whether a hidden message or a publicity stunt, it has a negative effect.

Reactions on media and social media were swift and intense. Political commentators and historians alike weighed in, with CNN anchors noting how uncommon such a gesture is in contemporary American politics. Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat went so far as to describe it as “a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.”

This incident is not the first time Musk has been criticized for appearing to align with far-right ideologies. In November 2023, he sparked outrage by endorsing an antisemitic post on X, drawing criticism from the White House for spreading a “hideous lie.” Further fueling concerns is Musk’s approach to platform moderation: under his “free speech absolutist” leadership, X has reinstated accounts previously banned for promoting hateful and extremist content, including neo-Nazi propaganda.

A Rolling Stone article highlighted both Musk’s own influence and X’s role in amplifying misinformation and extremist views. Hate groups have found renewed opportunities to spread their messages, taking advantage of the platform’s more lenient policies.

Musk identifies strongly as a “free speech absolutist,” believing that all content should be permitted on his platform with minimal restrictions. While freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democratic societies, it does not extend to the unregulated dissemination of harmful or hateful rhetoric, which leads to violence and terror. Under Musk’s laissez-faire approach to moderation, X has experienced a surge in extremist and antisemitic content—a pattern that highlights the risks of unfiltered online discourse.

The recent salute, whether deliberate or inadvertent, has been openly embraced by neo-Nazi and white supremacist factions. Such groups often seize on mainstream figures who appear to endorse—or fail to denounce—extremist symbolism. As these images and gestures infiltrate the public sphere, they risk normalizing divisive, dangerous ideologies, making it imperative to address the harms such actions can inflict on public discourse.

Elon Musk holds considerable sway across technology, space exploration, social media, and even cryptocurrency—domains that significantly shape public opinion. With such influence comes responsibility. His decisions regarding the content allowed on X and the messages he conveys both online and in public settings have substantial societal impact, especially his official role on “Government Efficiency”. If Musk does not actively work to counter hate speech and ensure robust content moderation, he may inadvertently embolden extremists rather than champion true free expression.

As the saying goes, “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” The echoes of dangerous ideology in Musk’s recent actions are too glaring to ignore. His public gesture and his apparent toleration of extremist voices risk overshadowing his professed commitment to free speech—making him, in the eyes of many, an enabler of hate rather than a defender of open dialogue.

If it looks like a duck – It’s a Nazi Salute…

About the Author
Dr. Lev Topor is the co-author (w/ Prof. Jonathan Fox) of 'Why Do People Discriminate Against Jews?' Published by Oxford University Press in 2021 and the author of 'Phishing for Nazis: Conspiracies, Anonymous Communications and White Supremacy Networks on the Dark Web' Published by Routledge in 2023. Lev also published 'Cyber Sovereignty - International Security, Mass Communication, and the Future of the Internet' with Springer in 2024. Lev publishes scholarly works and reports on the topic of antisemitism, anti-Zionism, racism, and cyber. Previously, Dr. Topor was a research fellow in ISGAP, at the Woolf Institute (Cambridge), at the CCLP (Haifa University), and at the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem (Jerusalem).
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