Musk took the stage to speak on Trump's inauguration day, his speech gestures sparked controversy

Musk gave a speech during Trump's presidency, describing Trump's victory as an event to secure the "future of civilization" and thanked Trump's supporters for achieving this goal. The world's richest man and super donor to Trump said: "This is what victory feels like, it is an extraordinary victory. This is a crossroads in human civilization."

Subsequently, Musk energetically saluted the audience, but this action quickly went viral online. Some critics compared this gesture to "Sieg Heil" (an old German greeting meaning "Hail Victory", once used as a slogan at Nazi party conventions). This was not the first time Musk drew attention for his behavior on stage; he had previously sparked controversy with a jump cheering for “Dark MAGA” at Trump’s second rally held in Butler, Pennsylvania.