Tech billionaire, Elon Musk, has come under fire after making back-to-back hand gestures resembling the Nazi salute during a speech celebrating the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

Addressing Trump supporters hours after the Republican was inaugurated as the 47th US president on Monday, Musk hailed the outcome of the election on November 4 as ?no ordinary victory?.

?This was a fork in the road of human civilisation,? Musk said at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.

?This one really mattered. Thank you for making it happen! Thank you.?

Musk then thumped his right hand on his chest before extending his arm at an upward angle with his palm down and fingers together.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who has been tasked with leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency in Trump?s administration, then turned around to face the crowd behind him and repeated the gesture.

Musk?s actions drew immediate scrutiny online, with some social media users accusing him of giving the infamous Sieg Heil salute associated with Adolf Hitler.

?I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,? Jerry Nadler, a Democratic Congressman from New York, said in a post on X.

?This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: anti-Semitism.?

The gesture also drew scrutiny in Israeli media, with the newspaper Haaretz saying Musk appeared to conclude his remarks with a ??Roman salute,? a fascist salute most commonly associated with Nazi Germany?.

Others defended Musk, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), one of the most prominent organisations dedicated to opposing anti-Semitism.

The New York-based organisation, which describes itself as the ?leading anti-hate organization in the world? but has faced criticism for conflating opposition to Israel with anti-Semitism, said it seemed the billionaire had made an ?awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute?.

?In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath,? the ADL said in a post on X.

?This is a new beginning. Let?s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.?

Al Jazeera did not immediately receive a response to requests for comment sent to Musk?s lawyer and a number of his companies.

Musk?s politics have shifted sharply right since he publicly came out in support of Trump after the Republican narrowly survived an attempted assassination in July.

Earlier this month, the billionaire hosted Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany?s far-right Alternative for Germany, for a conversation on his social media platform X after endorsing her party in February?s national elections.

?PHOTO: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025 [Angela Weiss/AFP]

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