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Jon Stewart has reacted to Elon Musk’s controversial salute to Donald Trump during an inauguration celebration for the new president on Monday (January 21)
The Tesla CEO, DOGE leader and “first buddy” to Trump gave a speech at the Capital One Arena on Monday and quickly caused outrage after he made a salute that many felt was fascist.
While getting extremely excited about the prospect of landing a man on Mars and planting an American flag, the X/Twitter owner pounded his chest and shot his right arm in an angular motion toward the sky, saying he felt it in his “heart.” He also turned his back to the audience and repeated the gesture towards the American flag hanging over the stage.
Although many were swift to condemn the 53-year-old for the gesture, Stewart attempted to give Musk the benefit of the doubt, albeit in an amusing way.
After showing the clip, which prompted boos from The Daily Show’s studio audience, Stewart paused briefly before saying: “Okay, charitably, I’m going to say that was just an awkward ‘my heart goes out to you’ gesture.”
Stewart then made reference to Taylor Swift and a heart gesture that she would make with her hands next to her chest, before adding: “‘It’s a nerve-wracking day. You’re not usually a public speaker. It’s a one-off gesture. Please try not to use it again.’”
Then, for comedy effect, the clip of Musk doing the salute for the second time is shown, leaving Stewart even more exasperated. “Son of b****. I guess you really want the people in the back to see it, I guess?”
Stewart concludes his thoughts on Musk’s salute by saying: “I’m just going to be generous and say maybe that was Elon’s attempt at dabbing on the haters.”
Many have suggested that Musk was actually performing a “Roman salute” that soldiers in the ancient empire would use to greet their commanders as a show of respect and loyalty. The Roman salute, however, was later adopted in some forms by fascist states — including Nazi Germany, as some noted.
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Additionally, right-wing extremists celebrated the alarming gesture. “I don’t care if this was a mistake. I’m going to enjoy the tears over it,” neo-Nazi leader Christopher Pollhaus wrote on Telegram.
Musk later shared a clip of his entire speech on X, though the video – which he pulled from another user – curiously did not show the first salute he gave to the crowd. The footage was from Fox’s Live Now broadcast.
