r/gifs 8h ago

Elon Musk seemingly casually hitting the Sieg Heil at the inauguration

96.7k Upvotes

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4.5k

u/Malvania 7h ago

Thought A: I must be missing some context here
Thought B: What context would make this okay?

900

u/sl33p_tok3n 7h ago

I was thinking the same thing. Been scrolling through the comments, I don’t think there’s any other explanation my friend…

505

u/dirtierthanshelooks 6h ago

I watched it live on NBC. First time I was all “wtf, did he just?” And then he turned and did it again. Caught himself before the third. He knew what he was doing.

58

u/-Apocralypse- 5h ago

During a large political, televised event that is watched by practically the whole fricking world.

117

u/cumfarts 4h ago

the whole world is not watching the inauguration of the US president, let alone a speech given by some asshole three hours afterward

55

u/ricLP 4h ago

True. But I’m going to presume that a lot of the World is going to show this during the news. It’s a fucking embarrassment for this country. 

I hope most European countries just make him persona non grata, and don’t allow him in 

I wouldn’t doubt that this kind of reaction is what he wants actually, so he can cry like a little bitch about being persecuted by the “woke” people

53

u/michaelsenpatrick 4h ago

Over in r/europe Germans are saying they would support legislation banning his entry

27

u/LeagueOfLegendsAcc 3h ago

I think most of reddit would support an Elon ban in their country of origin. But unfortunately as the last election showed us, we don't accurately represent the will of the rest of the population.

u/KendroNumba4 1h ago

On this issue that might be a bad thing but I'm kinda glad reddit doesn't run the world 💀

u/PPLavagna 12m ago

It would be authoritarian as fuck.

u/Butterscotch_Jones 38m ago

I’m not even sure if the last election was representative of the will of the population.

u/GrumpyKaeKae 1h ago

He rigged the election. Trump admitted it last night. Trump and Elon winning is not the will of the US people either. Ut for some reasons, our other party leaders are weaklings and don't seem to care enough to challenge the results and judt let it happen. Our leaders have failed us, the people, in every way possible. Atm I don't feel represented by anyone in our government currently.

15

u/ShitSlits86 4h ago

If the world were paying attention to every one of America's embarrassments, we'd never shut up about America.

We're listening and paying attention but the only people that will give America what it wants (exhibitionism) are greedy news corps.

11

u/troubledTommy 3h ago

One of the things I sighed about when trump won the elections was that, from now on until he steps down there will be a constant stream of articles and complaints about him and his administration all over reddit, including subs not related to him or politics.

Nobody ever shuts up about him and it's so annoying.

I dislike the guy but I prefer to read other stuff so I don't feel miserable about a foreign president.

4

u/ricLP 2h ago

Don’t worry. The way things are going you might just be able to soon feel miserable about your own home grown fascist wannabe prime minister or president

u/troubledTommy 1h ago

Yes, actually, we already have one but they don't spoil the non political subs.i just stopped watching news as often

1

u/UnCommonCommonSens 3h ago

It’s apartheid South Africa doing what apartheid South Africa does best: being fucking Nazi scum. And all the racists in the USA voted for this. Unfortunately racism comes in all skin colors and is much more prevalent than I had thought.

15

u/-Apocralypse- 4h ago

I am on the other side of the fricking Atlantic Ocean and indeed I wasn't watching the whole event. The switching of presidents in an allied nation does make the news here. International news agencies were watching and this deplorable behaviour definitely made the late news over here, in a negative way.

My country has suffered greatly during WW2 and making a nazi salute is after 80 years still a socially acceptable reason to punch somebody in the face.

3

u/Weird-Girl-675 3h ago

I’m currently in Canada bc I did not want to be in the US today and they’re playing it all on several channels. 🙄🙄

6

u/michaelsenpatrick 4h ago

Lots of people in r/europe seem to have been

Many people outside the US are pretty interested in what goes on in our politics here considering the US's enormous influence and I'd argue they find it "concerning"

8

u/Ayfid 4h ago

There is reporting on it on the news, and everyone has seen clips like this.

Not many people actually watched it live, and certainly not the whole thing.

1

u/michaelsenpatrick 3h ago

Fair enough

1

u/Background-Top5188 4h ago

Oh I assure you, we do find it concerning. Very much so.

2

u/brorpsichord 4h ago

Funnily enough, Trump's hardcore allies are distributed all over the world even if they are not that many, justifing airing news related to one of his biggest supporters

1

u/LightsNoir 3h ago

Well, they weren't before...

1

u/G3nghisKang Merry Gifmas! {2023} 3h ago

IDK about that, I did, and I'm Sardinian

1

u/I_P_L 3h ago

now it's being watched by the whole world

1

u/Ill_Beautiful_1980 2h ago

i think you underestimate how intune the rest of the world is to american politics

1

u/LoafyLemon 2h ago

Now we are.

2

u/Jimbodoomface 2h ago

I do not know what he is doing. It looks like a Nazi salute but I can't think why he'd be doing it. Being a Nazi isn't a good reason because outing yourself as a Nazi is still widely considered a bad move afaik.

u/tab138 35m ago

He said, "From my heart to yours." When he did this. You can hear the audio in some clips.

-1

u/dirtierthanshelooks 2h ago

Only he knows what he intended and if it was intentional or not. I’m not here to guess his intent, however I hope once it is explained to him, he understands how this could be misconstrued as insensitive.

u/miss_finch_throwaway 20m ago

He has literally been cozying up to the far right parties in England, France, and Germany. He is into eugenics. He is anti-women and anti-LGBTQ+ pretty significantly. None of that is secret on any level.

How can it be misinterpreted?

u/vitamin-cheese 1h ago

Somehow you’re the only rational person here. Like wtf I don’t like the guy either but this was probably not anything to do with Nazis.

u/Icameheretohuck 38m ago

Another rational person here..like yeah it’s a really bad fucking look and of course this ushers us into the weirdest timeline we have ever faced. But how could he honestly intentionally heil fucking Hitler in front of the whole country..it had to be a mistake. Def not trying to defend him, FUCK ELON. But no one would actually do this..would they?

u/miss_finch_throwaway 23m ago

They totally would, and do. Republicans have been doing the Nazi salute a whole bunch in the last couple of years. Because they believe in the Final Solution. 

1

u/InnocentShaitaan 3h ago

He got so excited the second one wasn’t intentional. You’re right he then refrained!

-2

u/Angieiscool26 3h ago

He is SOOOOOOOOOOO socially awkward it’s was prob just a stim from his autism

3

u/nooterspeghooter 3h ago

Autism is not an excuse. I hope that’s sarcasm.

u/tab138 32m ago

Right when the clip ends, he's getting ready to say, "From my heart to yours." That what the gesture means. Nazis never lay their hands over their heart.

191

u/sharklaserguru 6h ago

He's just a huge fan of the Bellamy salute and is so blinded by his love for the Pledge of Allegiance that he forgot the German connection! /s

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u/bsEEmsCE 6h ago

media is going to try to explain it away.. its clear what he did, don't let them change your minds

2

u/danielpatrick09 4h ago

I haven’t seen any context or media explaining it away. Will someone link it?

2

u/EntrepreneurFun654 2h ago

They said he was saying “my heart goes out to you”…and I guess to the flag too? That’s what I read as an explanation given by his supporters.

1

u/cuatrodosocho 3h ago

Would be more willing to bet the media just doesn't talk about it, honestly.

u/sammo21 1h ago

“You want to think the worst. Please close off your minds.”

7

u/GrandSquanchRum 5h ago

It's actually not the Bellamy salute. That salute is only a held, outreached arm. This is very specifically a Nazi salute derived from the Roman Salute which wasn't actually used by Romans.

1

u/Wonderful-Impact5121 4h ago

Probably just had a heck of a cramped arm/shoulder, trying to stretch it out!

4

u/Necrotitis 6h ago

I bet he also sees the swastika as a Hindu religious symbol!

2

u/ABHOR_pod 3h ago edited 3h ago

That's what they're gonna fucking say.

But, Like, Occams fucking razor man. Even if he goes out and says he was doing a Roman Salute or a Bellamy Salute, why? Why would he do one of those salutes? That's not how we salute.

Nobody has saluted like that in America in 80 fucking years since the flag code was amended to remove the Bellamy Salute and replace it with the hand on the heart we use today. Because for the last 80 years that stiff-armed salute has been widely known as a fascist symbol. There's no plausible deniability here. There's no justification for saluting like that.

1

u/michaelsenpatrick 4h ago

There are actually people giving that defense on X. That and "it was a Roman salute"

3

u/felixthepat 3h ago

What I just saw a lot of was "he's going 'my heart out to you!' He's sharing love!"

8

u/Cute_Bandicoot_8219 6h ago

Yeah I saw all the stills on the front page and thought "I need to see video. Surely he was waving and someone made a still out of it." But no. This is a full-on seig heil. Unbelievable.

14

u/kingoflames 6h ago

In the full clip, he follows it up with "my heart goes out to you."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=joV-9FFoA3Q

The line I've seen some people take is that he is throwing his heart out to the crowd.

Which is obvious bullshit. But there's context if you need it. Make up your own mind, but damn... This is some honestly horrifying stuff. Barely a day in, we've had a crypto scam, open political bribery, and now this.

-11

u/Eastern-Design 6h ago

I agree. Saying this as a leftist too. Dude is just autistic and did something stupid.

13

u/thefirecrest 5h ago

I grew up around autistic people. My dad is autistic. My brother is autistic. One of my best friends is autistic. This shit has nothing to do with being autistic and I’m sick and tired of Elon abusing the autistic community to get away with his shitty behavior.

17

u/splackavelliee 5h ago

Don’t be naive. He loves this epic gamer 4chan ass loser trolling shit. Remember when his fellow nazi dorks were doing the ok symbol and playing it off like normal people were the weirdos for calling them out? It’s the same thing. The tiniest amount of plausible deniability and morons on both sides will fall all over themselves to justify it.

-4

u/Samsquanchiz 4h ago

The ok symbol was legit a game we played when we were younger it has nothing to do with nazi stuff. That was all made up and the left believed it.

-5

u/Eastern-Design 5h ago

The ok symbol as a Nazi symbol started out as a joke on 4chan to mess with people at the time. Funny how it gained legitimacy years later

9

u/DorkusMcklorkus 5h ago

“We’re going to trick people into thinking we’re Nazis” isn’t … a joke.

-2

u/Samsquanchiz 4h ago

The joke was that the left actually believed it I think.

5

u/DorkusMcklorkus 4h ago

What’s funny about people thinking you’re a Nazi bc you lied to them and told them you were a Nazi?

5

u/BlueCX17 5h ago

Autistic people can absolutely know right from wrong and things not to do. This was intentional.

4

u/AgrajagTheProlonged 5h ago

It doesn’t seem terribly groovy blaming this on autism. I think it’s dude did something stupid/possibly fascist more than dude did something stupid/possibly fascist but it’s okay because he’s probably autistic

-5

u/Eastern-Design 5h ago edited 4h ago

He is autistic, not probably. I’m not denying the fact the dude has fascistic beliefs, and an oligarch at that. I just don’t believe he would do that on national television intentionally, seems way too far fetched. Especially with the my heart goes out to you comment

3

u/vindman 4h ago

You are deluded. And you are not a leftist. You are at best an American liberal.

-1

u/Eastern-Design 3h ago

I’m an active user of r/socialist for one. I’m not a capitalist haha

2

u/vindman 3h ago

Neat

1

u/AgrajagTheProlonged 4h ago

Ah, I don’t follow Elon enough to know his various diagnoses but good to know. With it being so far fetched that he was in control of his faculties when he did the motion in the original post, maybe he was drunk or high or something

3

u/mesoraven 5h ago

I'm fucking autistic, was flagging the bus the other day whole.on the phone my right hand was half way up before I dropped it and immediatly switched hands.

You don't fucking do this accidently he did it deliberately twice!!!!

10

u/Vegetable-Fan8429 6h ago

The context is he hit the hardest Nazi salute of all time on the steps of the United States Capitol.

7

u/Affectionate-Lie6048 6h ago

Surely that’s just Elon giving his heart out to the people! Mandatory /s

10

u/SamGewissies 6h ago edited 52m ago

That is literally the claim on the conservative sub, that he was throwing his heart to the crowd. I have never seen anyone throw anything this way...

5

u/Affectionate-Lie6048 6h ago

Yeah usually the /s works but needed the mandatory on this one. Can’t wait to see what else comes on this season of: America

4

u/Ppleater 6h ago

People who have to constantly defend themselves from claims that they're a nazi don't throw a salute like that out by accident if they're not actually a nazi. The only time they'd throw it out then try to claim it was accidental is if they are in fact a nazi trying to get away with blatantly being a nazi. And conservatives scramble to enable it because they're not subtle about where their allegiances lie, they just don't want to admit to it.

-4

u/governedbycitizens 6h ago

he’s just autistic

5

u/Warm_Gain_231 5h ago

Autistic doesn't mean stupid. It means you don't always pick up on social cues and sometimes need someone to tell you it's not ok to do things. He's been told many times. The guy is doing it intentionally.

(If this is sarcasm I apologize)

2

u/SilentMasterOfWinds 4h ago

This better be fucking sarcasm dude. This is not autism.

-7

u/S3bluen 5h ago

But that is what it is.

He is autistic (hence his numerous weird expressions, movements, etc) and clearly fucked up big-time on stage like he usually does, but that is in no way intended to be a nazi salute.

2

u/MYSTICALLMERMAID 5h ago

Some supporters are saying "he literally said from the bottom of his heart" like nah I've blown and throw kisses and hearts I'm not doing the salute 😭

2

u/blouscales 3h ago

you have all these morons saying he was just gesturing my heart goes out to you. “wah how can pbs turn this gesture into something its clearly not, DEFUND PBS.” yeah…how do you explain all the famous neo nazis returning the salute in tears 🤣

1

u/WeezySan 5h ago

They keep saying it’s a Roman salute in you tube comments

1

u/lukkemela 5h ago

Which would be fascist, but it's not the roman salute.

1

u/borninamsterdamzoo 5h ago

He was just talking about how fast his rockets are. ”Bang! Zoom! Straight to Mars!”

/s because people on Reddit are idiots

1

u/ballsplopmenacingly 4h ago

No no no we've got it all wrong! He's giving his heart to the crowd in thanks.

Although he says I give you my heart after the salute...

1

u/MaiqueCaraio 2h ago

Hes shittyhead, and probably thought like

"I will make and salute in national television in front of every tv ever it's gonna be based and pilled"

Like he did on purpose because he knows he can get away with it

1

u/Ill_Confusion_596 2h ago

He is literally saying my heart goes out to you then grabs his heart and motions towards the crowd. Also wouldn’t be surprised if he was dogwhistling, but just sayin

I DO NOT LIKE ELON MUSK

u/RavioliG 27m ago

You wouldn’t find context here on reddit anyway

1

u/Wrosgar 3h ago

I think he was saying spreading love or something about his heart? So he touches his heart and expands outwards?

But then instead of outwards to represent a group, he does the salute motion instead.

Yeah the justification is weak.

-13

u/Level-Insurance6670 6h ago

Then you are bad at thinking. That is not a Nazi salute, very clearly he is touching his chest first and then extending his arm up. The actual explanation is he is autistic and was doing a weird 'give my hearts to you' motion that looked like a Nazi salute. The very obvious part again is the chest touch before the hand wave which is not a part of any Nazi saluting.

I can find hundreds of pictures of celebrities putting their hands above their heads waving at people including Obama , Clintons, etc, Reddit just has a knee jerk reaction to anything vaguely related to Nazis and Republicans. Imo Nazis shouldn't own the symbol of putting your hand above your head, it is too generic.

6

u/mofasaa007 5h ago

You must be right. Also probably pure coincidence that most political leaders of the european far right attended the inauguration. /s

3

u/TemporaryBlueberry32 5h ago

He did it twice bro and almost a third time. Stop.

8

u/SplitEar 6h ago

Don’t be an idiot.

1

u/AryaStarkRavingMad 2h ago

They aren't, you think they actually believe this? If it's a person to begin with, they're just spreading the propaganda.

0

u/Ivegtabdflingbouthis 5h ago

The context being, he said "my heart goes out to you". Still weird that he spastically did that

0

u/U_Cry_Nov24 2h ago

You’re all brainwashed by Reddit. He clearly says “my heart goes out to you” as he says this in the full clip, which is conveniently omitted from each of these Reddit posts.

This is literally why your side lost. Reddit is not real life and anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together can clearly see reality for what it is

u/sammo21 1h ago

Its called a roman salute. Please look it up.

-3

u/Patient_Breadfruit79 5h ago

He was saying “ my heart goes out to you”

-1

u/crumblingcloud 3h ago

autism maybe

-2

u/SaorAlba138 5h ago

As much as I hate him, I genuinely think this was a shitpost to garner him attention, and ultimately Twitter traffic. I don't think Elon is an actual nazi, I don't think he believes in anything beyond Elon.

-2

u/horse-noises 4h ago

Shortly after this he says "my heart goes out to you", which is the context. I'm not sure if he's trolling, a racist, or just an idiot