Elon Musk responds to criticism over alleged 'Nazi' salute: 'They need better tricks'
Elon Musk has sparked controversy over an alleged "Nazi" salute, prompting him to respond to critics on social media. In a series of tweets, the billionaire dismissed the accusations.
The alleged salute by Elon Musk during Donald Trump’s inauguration as the new President of the United States has caused a stir. News outlets worldwide have reported the incident, and political figures such as Yolanda Díaz, Minister of Labor; Ernest Urtasun, Minister of Culture; and Sira Rego, Minister of Youth and Children, all from Spain, have reportedly left the social media platform X in protest.
Musk entering to the ceremony to givie his speech. Photo: El Financiero.
Elon Musk’s Responses
What could have remained a minor anecdote escalated when Musk decided to address the controversy publicly. The entrepreneur responded in various ways, primarily by retweeting posts from others explaining that his gesture was simply an act of "offering his heart" to the audience. However, he also took a more direct approach with three pointed tweets.
In his first tweet, Musk criticized the creativity of his detractors: "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is very exhausting," he wrote.
He then took aim at the media and their audience: "Since Wikipedia considers legacy media propaganda as a 'valid' source, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!"
Finally, in a third tweet, Musk shared images of Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Elizabeth Warren raising their hands in a similarly manner, accompanied by a sharp comment: "Legacy media is pure propaganda. You are now the media."
Why was Musk at the ceremony?
Such as Donald Trump, the technological magnate is obsessed with the idea of taking the humain being to Mars, so his project was completely approved by the President on Monday, when he promised on his speech that "We will promote our manifest destiny to the stars, carrying American astronauts who will plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars". After that, Musk smiled broadly and raised his hands as a festive gesture.
In addition, he has lucrative contracts with the federal government, so he has established an unusual partnership with the incoming President. Also, Musk contributed about $200 million to America PAC, a political action committee that performed work to organize support for Trump during his election campaign.