Extremists embrace Musk's salute as Tesla investors fret

The Anti-Defamation League called it an "awkward gesture." Social media pedants called it a "Roman salute." Elon Musk himself professed his innocence. Whatever the explanation, Musk's strong-arm salute during President Donald Trump's inauguration bore a strong enough resemblance to Nazi gesticulations to nearly overshadow the event. No matter Musk's intention, the effect of his gesture has galvanized far-right extremists and created another crisis for electric vehicle maker Tesla, the pillar of Musk's wealth.

A 'signature of the online right'

Regardless of whether Musk was deliberately making a "'Sieg Heil' salute favored by the followers of Adolf Hitler," said Rolling Stone, the gesture was "eagerly received that way by extremists online." The "entire neo-Nazi movement seems to be eating it up," said extremism expert Nick Martin at Wired. "I don't care if this was a mistake," one neo-Nazi leader said in a Telegram post reviewed by the outlet. "I'm going to enjoy the tears over it."

Playing on the ambiguity between intent and effect has "become a signature of the online right in recent years," said The Forward. Accordingly, the phrase "my heart goes out to you," which Musk said as he made his gesture, has "gone from alibi to ironic right-wing catchphrase," joining similar shibboleths like "let's go Brandon" and the "okay" hand gesture that "became an officially recognized hate symbol in 2019 following a campaign by online trolls to link the gesture to white supremacy."

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While Musk seems to have escaped any immediate consequences for his gesture, those who have emulated the salute are at higher risk. Next week, the board of supervisors in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, will meet to "accept the resignation of Supervisor Laura Smith," after she posted a video duplicating Musk's gesture, said CBS News. And this week, former Anglican Catholic Church priest Calvin Robinson was defrocked for repeating Musk's gesture, which "many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute," the organization said in a statement on its website.

A 'big barrier' for corporate competition

Musk's latest controversy may be detrimental to his long-term business interests. "Political boycotts" are rarely able to "kill an established company" like Tesla, even if some people eschew his products, said Brad Templeton at Forbes. But Musk's much-ballyhooed self-driving RoboTaxi line is "not a product, it's a service." As such, "while people anywhere might buy a Tesla, only big city urban dwellers will call robotaxis" — those customers trend to the left. "If Tesla, fairly or unfairly, gets a Nazi taint among that population," said Templeton, "that creates a big barrier in competing with other services."

Even those already enmeshed in Tesla's business have begun openly questioning Musk's risks to the company. "Will you apologize for the misunderstanding that occurred when you made the hand gesture thanking folks for their support?" asked one investor at the car company's online forum soliciting "investor inquiries in advance of its earnings calls," said CNBC. Other investors questioned whether there have been "sales lost due to political activities of Elon" and how the company plans to "respond to Musk's now infamous Nazi salute."