An image of Elon Musk making a controversial salute during a speech on Monday was projected onto Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin. The display featured Musk’s gesture alongside the words “Heil Tesla.”
Newsweek reached out to Tesla’s communications team for comment on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close ally of President Donald Trump, has faced widespread accusations of making a Nazi gesture twice during a speech to a crowd of Trump supporters gathered at Washington’s Capital One Arena for an indoor “Presidential Parade” on Monday, shortly after Trump’s second inauguration.
While his intention remained unclear, Musk’s straight-arm gesture during the speech quickly made headlines worldwide.
“I just want to say thank you for making it happen,” Musk said during his remarks, referring to Trump’s victory in the presidential election. He then slapped his hand on his chest and extended his arm straight out and upward with his palm facing downward.
“My heart goes out to you,” he added, turning to make a similar gesture in the opposite direction.
Musk dismissed the controversy, urging people not to overanalyze his actions.
What To Know
An image of Elon Musk making the controversial salute was projected onto Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin, accompanied by the words “Heil Tesla.”
Zentrum für Politische Schönheit on X
Two left-wing activist groups, Led By Donkeys from the United Kingdom and Germany’s Center for Political Beauty, claimed responsibility for the projection on X, formerly Twitter.
Another message, displaying the word “Boycott” alongside the Tesla logo, was also projected onto the factory headquarters.
Who Are Led By Donkeys and the Center for Political Beauty?
Led By Donkeys is a U.K.-based campaign group that uses creative stunts to expose political hypocrisy. They gained attention by projecting politicians’ statements and tweets onto buildings and billboards, initially focusing on anti-Brexit messages before expanding to other issues. In February 2024, the group laid out thousands of children’s outfits along Bournemouth Beach to represent the children killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
The Center for Political Beauty is a German activist group founded in 2009. They use provocative, theatrical actions to address political apathy and social issues, focusing on refugee rights, fascism and historical accountability. In 2015, the collective exhumed bodies of refugees who died at Europe’s borders and reburied them in Berlin.
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk, replying to a right-wing X account calling descriptions of his gesture “the salute hoax” on Monday night: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
The Anti-Defamation League, posting in part in response to criticism of Musk’s gesture on X: “It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath.”
Kurt Braddock, a professor of communication at American University who studies extremism, radicalization and terrorism, to the Associated Press: “I know what I saw, I know what the response to it was among elements of the extreme right including neo-Nazis.”
What Happens Next
Musk is expected to be deeply involved in the Trump administration as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Update 1/22/25, 5:33 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
