Elon Musk and the possible Hitler salute: The problem with the codes

The richest man in the world considers the criticism of his Hitler salute-like gesture to be a “dirty trick” by his opponents. At least that’s what Elon Musk wrote on his Platform X after raising his right arm twice during an appearance in front of Donald Trump supporters. A few hours earlier, the new US president had been sworn in, and Musk is considered one of his closest advisors. By now he will probably be one of the most powerful men in the world. And this man is now complaining.

A “dirty trick”? You could also see this the other way around. A dirty trick would then not be the criticism of the gesture – but the gesture itself. Afterwards he shouted from the stage: “My heart flies to you”, and with this he was probably addressing the Trump supporters in the audience. But part of the problem is that, in combination with the gesture, they weren’t the only ones who felt addressed.

The publicist and son of Holocaust survivor Michel Friedman found clear words for Musk’s appearance in the “Tagesspiegel”. The gesture was a “shame”: “The breaking of taboos has reached a point that is dangerous for the entire free world.” Friedman also said: “Was the hand gesture an expression of this political identity? That wouldn’t be all that surprising.”

On the one hand, given Musk’s political radicalization, he is right. On the other hand, he shows the problem of all observers: You don’t know what Musk meant by what he was saying. You can’t know without looking into his head.

But none of the possible explanations seem reassuring.

One thing, for example, is now known quite well: that right-wing extremists send ambiguous codes. For years they have been pursuing politics based on the dog whistle principle. To put it simply: you send messages that are received by those who are receptive to them – and then deny that you meant it that way.

In Germany, Björn Höcke, for example, used the method when he used the forbidden slogan “Everything for Germany”. This is the slogan of the SA, the “Sturmabteilung” of the NSDAP. The history teacher Höcke claimed that he did not know the history of the slogan. The AfD is now campaigning with the slogan “Alice for Germany”. This too will be understood by those who should understand it.

So did Elon Musk blow the dog whistle too? Maybe yes, maybe no. In any case, the message got through. As Rolling Stone reports, the Ohio chapter of the right-wing extremist militia Proud Boys posted a video showing the gesture on its Telegram channel. The words: “Hail Trump!”

The conclusion of this is not that Musk is a National Socialist. But it could be more likely that he does not shy away from using National Socialist codes to secure the support of those who understand and support what these codes stand for. In other words: Political effects may be more important to him than maintaining a taboo that not only the Western public agreed on after National Socialism killed millions of people. The raised right arm stands like no other gesture for this crime, for this movement, for this ideology. And for the outrageous belief that there are people who are less worthy than others.

And now? One of the most powerful men in the world is making this gesture, whether intentionally or not, on the largest possible stage, literally in front of the eyes of the world. In view of this, no one should be surprised if those people who are already the target of hatred and agitation are slowly starting to feel fear: non-white people, Muslims, Jews, members of the LGBTQI community or even just opponents of the new Authoritarianism in the style of Trump and Musk.

Yes, maybe Musk didn’t mean it that way. Just because he says so doesn’t mean it’s untrue. But then he would have a worrying awareness of history, which admittedly doesn’t seem so unlikely since he spoke to AfD leader Alice Weidel on X. Weidel claimed in the conversation that Hitler was a communist. Musk agreed.

Maybe – and there aren’t many other possible explanations – Musk simply has a problem with a lack of impulse control. One would wish something different from one of the most powerful men in the world. It doesn’t get any better because he’s in good company: Donald Trump doesn’t have a reputation for being particularly well under control either.

During his appearance, Musk also said that Trump’s election had secured the “future of civilization.” Was he referring to the civilization in which, under the impression of the murder of millions of people, it was previously considered impossible to raise your right arm in front of a crowd?

He also said that all of humanity was at a fork in the road. He could be right about that.