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By Flynn Nicholls
US News Reporter
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Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell challenged a Donald Trump-ally on Monday over his defense of Elon Musk's controversial hand gesture at Trump's inauguration last week.
During an appearance on CNN NewsNight, conservative CNN contributor Scott Jennings suggested it was "ridiculous" to call Musk's straight-arm gesture a Nazi salute, prompting Rampell to dare him to replicate it on live television.
Newsweek has reached out to Jennings via online form, Rampell via email and Musk via an email to Tesla for comment.
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Why It Matters
Musk, the world's richest man and a close ally of Trump, has become a polarizing figure in U.S. politics and has used his X platform to push far-right political movements. He has also been accused of amplifying antisemitism on several occasions since he bought Twitter, accusations he denies.
His straight-arm gesture sparked widespread backlash, with critics accusing Musk of mimicking a Nazi salute and some accusing him of harboring Nazi-adjacent views. Musk denies both.
What to Know
During the Monday night broadcast, Jennings defended Musk, dismissing accusations that the salute was a "Sieg Heil" as "absolutely ridiculous." He said suggesting that it resembled a Nazi salute was "salute trutherism" and a "conspiracy theory."
Rampell, the sole Jewish panelist, challenged Jennings, urging him to replicate Musk's gesture on-air to prove it was benign.
"Do it right now on TV," Rampell said. "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?"
Jennings did not answer or replicate Musk's gesture.
A video of the exchange was uploaded to X on Monday night by user @Acyn, a senior digital editor for the liberal news site MeidasTouch. It had been viewed 2.1 million times by Tuesday morning.
Musk made the hand gesture during his speech at Trump's inauguration rally on January 20. He placed his right hand on his chest and extended it upward with fingers outstretched, saying: "My heart goes out to you. It's because of you that the future of civilization is assured."
The gesture has drawn backlash, with critics alleging that Musk was intentionally using fascist symbolism, something Musk denies.
In support of the allegation that Musk holds Nazi-like views, critics have pointed to his support of the far-right in Germany, his disdain for labor unions and his anxiety about declining American birth rates.
He has also been accused of antisemitism in the past. In 2023, he agreed with a post on X accusing Jews of promoting "dialectical hatred against whites." Musk replied at the time: "You have said the actual truth."
What People Are Saying
Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler of New York, on X: "I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal. This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history."
Elon Musk, on X: "It was astonishing how insanely hard legacy media tried to cancel me for saying 'my heart goes out to you' and moving my hand from my heart to the audience. In the end, this deception will just be another nail in the coffin of legacy media."
Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press: "The people that are making such a fuss about this arm gesture are the people who have been completely silent or morally equivocating since October 7 [the Hamas attack in Israel in 2023]."
Jewish conservative commentator Ben Shapiro described the incident as "another episode of everybody I don't like is Hitler."
What Happens Next
Musk is now head of the Department of Government Efficiency, a temporary agency that aims to drastically reduce annual federal spending to address the $36.2 trillion national debt. The extent of the influence of Musk and DOGE within Trump's administration is still to be determined.
Meanwhile, the debate over Musk's public actions and statements continues to shape his controversial image on the political stage.
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