A British radio host has criticized Elon Musk's controversial gesture at a Donald Trump rally, challenging defenders of the move to replicate it in public and see the reaction, reigniting debate over whether the act resembled a "Nazi salute."
On January 15, 2025, Elon Musk attended a post-inauguration rally for President Trump in Washington, D.C., where he made a gesture that quickly went viral.
Critics claimed the act mimicked the infamous Nazi salute, while supporters, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), dismissed the accusation as an overreaction to an "awkward" moment.
Musk responded by mocking his detractors, claiming political opponents were employing tired attacks against him.
The controversy has sparked a global conversation, with British talk radio host James O'Brien adding fuel to the fire by challenging those defending Musk's gesture to perform it in professional or public settings, Mediate reported.
"Anybody minded to tell me that that's not what Elon Musk was doing must encourage him to go and do it in Germany and see what happens. And in fact, if you don't think it was a Nazi salute, why don't you do it at parent night next time you're at your kid's school or or just do it now if you're at work and see what happens," O'Brien said.
O'Brien also criticized Musk's alignment with controversial far-right political movements, like the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, suggesting it adds context to his actions.
"I mean, it could be an extraordinary coincidence that he did two salutes identical to the Nazi salute shortly after expressing his belief that the party born from the ashes of the Nazi party, where they are currently adapting Nazi slogans to avoid criminality, could all be a complete coincidence. ... Coincidentally, these opinions expressed by somebody who has subsequently given to Nazi salute at the Donald Trump inauguration," O'Brien said.
The backlash continues to polarize public opinion, as Musk's supporters and critics clash over the intent and implications of the gesture.
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