Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to the United Nations, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who has said she wants to lead an effort to combat antisemitism at the UN, what she thought of Elon Musk making a gesture that critics say resembled a fascist salute.
(Musk made what appeared to be the so-called fascist salute — or Roman salute — while speaking at the post-inauguration celebration for Trump at the Capital One Arena.)
Murphy asked Stefanik: “What do you think of Elon Musk, the president’s perhaps most visible advisor, doing two Heil Hitler salutes last night at the president’s televised rally?”
We need to talk about what happened last night.
I asked Trump’s UN nominee, who wants to lead an effort to combat antisemitism at the UN, what she thought about Elon’s Musk’s Nazi salute and the celebration of it by domestic neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. pic.twitter.com/OZCfFzhOEo
— Chris Murphy
(@ChrisMurphyCT) January 21, 2025
Stefanik replied: “No, Elon Musk did not do those salutes. I was not at the rally but I can tell you I’ve been at many rallies with Elon Musk who loves to cheer,” she raised both hands up in the arms. “That is simply not the case and to say so is…the American people are smart, they can see through it, they support Elon Musk.”
Musk himself replied to the accusation by dismissing the rhetoric of his antagonists, saying the trope of portraying their enemies as “Nazis” was “tired.” Later Musk shared a video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) making what appears to be a similar gesture.
Haha this is amazing
https://t.co/GdZMss555L — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2025
Murphy told Stefanik what some Americans thought differently about Musk’s gestures and noted comments from right-wing political commentator Evan Kilgore, who wrote on X: “Holy crap did Elon Musk just Heil Hitler the Trump inauguration rally? This is incredible, we are so back.”
Holy crap…
Did @elonmusk just Heil Hitler at the Trump Inauguration Rally in Washington D.C…
This is incredible.
pic.twitter.com/oGOh3bfnI8 — Evan Kilgore
(@EvanAKilgore) January 20, 2025
Note: Kilgore, dismissive like Musk, responded to Murphy’s questioning: “Nobody in America believes @elonmusk did a Sieg Heil yesterday. We were all laughing at the MSM narrative.”
According to Murphy, Andrew Torba, founder of the right-wing Christian Nationalist platform Gab, amplified the video and wrote, “Incredible things are happening,” and the Proud Boys chapter in Ohio also amplified the video and wrote: “Heil Trump.” The group White Lives Matter wrote: “Thanks for hearing us, Elon. The white flame will rise again.”
Murphy added: “White supremacist groups and neo-Nazi groups in this country rallied around that visual.”
After the hearing, Musk wrote on X: “@EliseStefanik is awesome” with a sunglasses-wearing emoji.”
@EliseStefanik is awesome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
