Elon Musk appears to give fascist-style salute after Trump inauguration
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN commenters repeatedly link it as primary evidence in arguments over whether Musk's gesture was deliberate, especially in threads about Tesla sales, DOGE and tech-industry politics.
Recommended by 0 people across 0 different months, 2025 to 2026.
What it is
A 19-second Guardian News clip of Elon Musk at the Capital One Arena celebration after Trump's 2025 inauguration, where he thanks supporters and makes a arm-extended gesture that the outlet describes as a fascist-style salute.
What people said
Cites zfg · 2025-02 · Hacker News · on “Tesla's sales plummet across Europe”
Musk has been lying about full self driving for 10 years. He had already discovered that reality doesn't matter. He lies constantly: [LINK] They were and remain two full on fascist salutes. There's no minimizing it or explaining it away: [this video]
Cites zfg · 2025-02 · Hacker News · on “Tesla sales dropped 60% in Germany”
Musk's fascist salutes looked like fascist salutes because they were fascist salutes. He did it deliberately and he did it twice just to make sure: [this video] These guys loved it: [LINK] And so does this guy: [LINK]
Cites zfg · 2025-02 · Hacker News · on “Men claiming to be from DOGE show up at San Francisco City Hall, demand records”
> I don't think Elon gave a Nazi salute He gave two fascist salutes: [this video] > I think that comparison is based on superficial mechanistic similarities It looks exactly the same. These guys think so: [LINK] This guy too: [LINK] Sometimes things are exactly as they appear to be.
Cites zfg · 2025-02 · Hacker News · on “Time to get back to respecting the 'no politics' rule”
> what is different this time around? Why is politics suddenly a relevant topic here? Because the tech sector is now explicitly and unabashedly political. Musk, for example, is flipping fascist salutes: [this video] And censoring speech: [LINK] And helpfully calling an astronaut "fully retarded": [LINK] [LINK] And seeking to wreck Wikipedia, one of the internet's greatest projects: [LINK] And mocking a blind man who disagrees with him for being blind: [LINK] And threatening companies with government interference if they don't advertise on Twitter: [LINK] And so on and so on. It's grubby stuff. This is what so much of the tech industry is now. You can't be afraid to look at what it has become.
Cites zfg · 2025-03 · Hacker News · on “Tesla Sales Fall Off a Cliff Globally, Including Germany, Australia, and China”
> It's wild how "Elon did a Nazi salute" is now taken as an unquestioned truth. He did it deliberately, he did it with gusto, and he did it twice just to make sure: [this video] These guys loved it: [LINK] And so does this guy: [LINK]
Cites zfg · 2025-03 · Hacker News · on “Tesla Cybertruck deliveries on hold as trims are flying off 'bulletproof' truck”
Well, has anyone from Volkswagen done fascist salutes at a political rally lately: [this video] And was anyone from Volkswagen making excuses for Hitler yesterday: [LINK]
Cites zfg · 2025-03 · Hacker News · on “Feds charge three over Molotov attacks on Tesla sites in multiple states”
> I find it hard to believe that the nazi salute was on purpose Musk did it deliberately, he did it with gusto, and he did it twice: [this video] It's who he is. It's who he wants to be.
Cites zfg · 2025-03 · Hacker News · on “Tesla Vandalism Surges in Canada as Trump and Musk Face Backlash”
> Why is that? It's the fascist salutes: [this video] It's the excuses he makes for Hitler: [LINK] It's the interference in foreign politics: [LINK] It's saying Canada is not a real country: [LINK] And so on and so on. Take your pick. There's lots to choose from. He's determined to damage the Tesla brand and he is succeeding.
Cites breve · 2025-10 · Hacker News · on “Greenland’s national telco, Tusass, signs new agreement with Eutelsat”
Musk flashed a fascist salute. He did it deliberately, he grunted with the effort, and he did it twice so you wouldn't miss it: [this video] There's no mistaking it. There's no confusing it with something else. If you are to apply Occam's Razor then the conclusion is that these are simply and precisely the fascist salutes they appear to be. Let me ask you this, if I stuck my middle finger up at you while telling you that my heart went out to you, what would you think?
Cites breve · 2026-04 · Hacker News · on “Tesla Is Sitting on a Record 50k Unsold EVs”
> Here’s a denial from Musk. Here's video of Musk performing his fascist salutes. He did it deliberately, he did it with gusto, he grunted with the effort, and he did it twice just to make sure: [this video] There's no denying it.