Elon Musk's hand gesture: a German perspective
Crowd saluting Hitler in Sudetenland, 1938 // Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Elon Musk gave a speech at Donald Trump’s official inauguration. This speech, full of self-conviction and energy, ended with a ‘controversial hand gesture’ that has sparked debate. Was it a Hitler salute? Or was it an accident? Was Elon Musk aware of what he was doing?
For me, as a person who grew up in Germany, the answer is clear: Elon Musk was aware of what he was doing. Making that gesture, with so much enthusiasm, is no accident.
Being educated by the German school system means being confronted with the Second World War and the Holocaust in class at an early age, sensitively and honestly. Almost every class visits a concentration camp memorial during their school years. Our national history is vigorously integrated into young people’s public education to raise awareness and to ensure that the mistakes of our past are never repeated. Outside of the classroom, Germany’s past is never separated from the present. From Munich to Hamburg, from Berlin to Dresden, from Cologne to Nuremberg - memorials in various forms can be found everywhere. And on the legal level, it is forbidden to give the Hitler salute or say Nazi phrases.
From my perspective, having been raised in this system, there’s no alternative way to understand the execution of this hand gesture in front of millions of people. There is no space for interpretation. And even though the history of my home country shapes my perspective, one doesn’t need to have grown up in Germany to understand the implications of this gesture. Elon Musk, as a highly educated man, was absolutely aware of his actions. Moreover, it is not only the conscious performance of this Nazi hand gesture, but also the conviction that is needed to position oneself in this way. Therefore, it is incomprehensible and nonsensical to claim that Musk inadvertently or unconsciously stretched his right arm straight up in the air from his heart during the inauguration. As the richest man on Earth, many have described his success as one of a genius who has never hesitated to communicate his opinions. As such, he was well aware of the origins and significance of this hand gesture.
For me, this was no coincidence. Beyond the deep historical meaning, this gesture is also deeply integrated into an entanglement of events in contemporary German politics. Europe’s shift to the far right is recognisable across the board and Germany is not exempt, despite its history. The AfD is a right-wing party that has been categorised by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in some German federal states as definitively right-wing extremist. It wasn’t long ago that Elon Musk was in dialogue with party leader Alice Weidel on Platform X. Convinced that the AfD is the only party that can fundamentally reform Germany, and open supporter of this ideology across the globe, Musk provided the AfD an audience of millions. From a democratic perspective, it is without a doubt that this is not the case. In my opinion, the AfD stands for hatred, agitation and populism. With sympathy and support for the AfD, Musk is taking a clear stance, rendering it even less plausible to claim that his Hitler salute was accidental or unconscious. Sadly, he is not an isolated case as members of the AfD have repeatedly attracted negative attention by publicly shouting out famous Nazi phrases and giving the Hitler salute. The self-assurance and comfortability to do this in public is becoming ever stronger. Elon Musk is part of this development.
As a German who stands against right-wing extremism, it is frightening to see how openly and unabashedly, with full (personal) conviction, Elon Musk performed this salute for an audience of millions. And the immediate reaction on site? Applause and cheers, as Musk’s audience of right-wing populist Republicans celebrated his salute. This sobering reaction provided the ultimate reminder that right-wing convictions are now prevalent: Elon Musk isn’t alone.