Republican Strategist Called Out On-Air for Defending Musk Salute: 'Do It Right Now If You Think It's Normal'

Republican political commentator Scott Jennings faced intense scrutiny after defending Elon Musk's recent gesture that many social media users have referred to as a "Nazi salute" during President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell did not hold back on CNN's "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" Monday, and dared Jennings to replicate the gesture live on television.

"I don't understand why this guy keeps getting the benefit of the doubt, whether or not he believes this stuff, personally," Rampell said.

Jennings dismissed the criticism as part of a broader "Elon derangement syndrome" and argued Musk's history of support for Jewish communities.

"Anybody who is asserting this thing he did on the stage the other day was a Sieg Heil, which I just heard you say, you know, lawyer up maybe because, [it is an] absolute ridiculous thing to say," he said.

Rampell was not convinced and doubled down, pushing Jennings to demonstrate the gesture himself.

"Why don't you do it on TV right now if you think it's so, so banal," she pressed, creating a tense moment on the set.

The back-and-forth escalated as Jennings refused to comply. "This salute trutherism is outrageous," he said, attempting to brush off Rampell's dare.

"Do it right now on TV. If you think it's normal, if you think it's a normal way to greet people, do it right now on TV! Why won't you?," Rampell responded.

Host Abby Phillip appeared visibly stunned by the intensity and attempted to steer the conversation in a different direction.

While the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which works to combat antisemitism, previously referred to Musk's gesture as "an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm," others have come out to criticize the salute.

"Elon Musk knows precisely what he was doing with his fascist Roman salute...which follows his explicit embrace of far-right parties and policies. If you're surprised, you haven't been paying attention. We know precisely where this extremist behavior leads, normalizing and emboldening avowed neo-Nazis and white supremacists who take this as a stamp of approval for their targeting of Jews, immigrants, people of color, and so many others," Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, wrote in a statement soon after the alleged salute.