Elon Musk's arm gesture during Trump's inauguration rally draws scrutiny

Описание: (21 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 20 January 2025
1. Elon Musk at a rally in Capital One Arena

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 21 January 2025
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Kurt Braddock, Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at American University:
"Not only was it clearly a Sieg Heil, I compared it against past videos of Sieg Heils to see if maybe I missed something in the last, you know, 40 years of my life that I didn't know what a Sieg Heil looked like, but he did it twice. He did it to the crowd one time, then turned around, made sure the people behind him saw the same exact thing. So, I mean, awkward gesture, let's assume that's correct for a second. Somebody would would note that they made that gesture and they would hopefully avoid doing it again. So I think there was no mistake. I think it was clearly meant to send a message to certain elements of his audience. And I think that those elements of the audience got the message."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 20 January 2025
3. STILL of Musk speaking at the podium

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 21 January 2025
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kurt Braddock, Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at American University:
"I think his response was probably trying to accomplish two things. Number one, maintain his manufactured persona of being this kind of troll oligarch or a troll version of an oligarch and trying to be somebody who laughs at individuals who take things too seriously. But his doing that also has, I think, another intended purpose, that it disincentivizes people from calling out those things when they see it again in the future."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 20 January 2025
5. STILL of Musk arriving to speak at the presidential inauguration rally event

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 21 January 2025
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kurt Braddock, Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at American University:
"Far right groups, neo-Nazi groups online in online channels, they saw it as a gesture of affiliation, a gesture of support and a gesture to indicate that they now have an ally in a very powerful position in the United States, some people jokingly say is the actual president of the United States, but at the very least is the president of the United States' ear. And regardless of Musk's intention, which again, I don't think his intention was very confusing, it was clear to me, regardless, it almost doesn't matter because neo-Nazis think that he is on their side and he hasn't disavowed them. He hasn't mentioned that these elements of the extreme far right now think that he's on their side. And that speaks volumes, too."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 20 January 2025
7. STILL of Musk celebrating on stage
STORYLINE:
Right-wing extremists are celebrating Elon Musk’s straight-arm gesture during a speech Monday, although his intention wasn't totally clear and some hate watchdogs are saying not to read too much into it.

“I just want to say thank you for making it happen,” Musk said during a speech at Capitol One Arena on Monday afternoon, referring to Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election.

Then he slapped his hand on his chest, extended his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards. He turned around and made a similar gesture facing the other way.


“The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” Musk posted on X several hours after he left the stage.

Critics and fans alike of the Tesla CEO and world’s richest man were quick to react to the gesture.





The ADL was equally careful in its reaction.



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