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By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's controversial gesture on Inauguration Day continues to have ripple effects, including in online forums.
Musk made headlines on Monday when he made two enthusiastic back-to-back arm gestures during President Donald Trump's inaugural festivities that immediately sparked criticism and comparisons to a Nazi salute.
Why It Matters
Musk dismissed the allegations, writing on X, "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."
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But that hasn't stopped the backlash, including on Reddit. Over the last 12 hours, users on scores of subreddits have proposed banning X links from the popular discussion forum.
Newsweek reached out to Musk for comment via SpaceX in an email on Tuesday night.
What To Know
Many of the Reddit posts advocating for a ban on X links appear to follow a similar template.
"I've seen this doing the rounds on a number of other sports related subreddits today, and I'd like to think the values of most F1 fans generally oppose those of the person running that platform," one user wrote on a Formula 1 subreddit. "Even changes such as only allowing Twitter/X screenshots rather than sharing direct links, this would at least reduce the traffic going to the site."
As of Tuesday evening, the post had 34,000 votes.
Another user proposed banning X links on a subreddit dedicated to Liverpool Football Club, which is currently at the top of the table in the English Premiere League.
"Seen this on a few other football club subreddits," the user wrote in a post titled "Proposal to ban X.com links."
"Seems like a no brainer to me, especially given the values of our club."
As of Tuesday evening, the post had 36,000 votes.
"Full support," one user replied to the post.
"Ban that filth," another replied.
In a Chicago Bears subreddit, a user proposed banning X.com links and wrote that it "seems like a no brainer to me, especially given the values of our team and history of players who fought in WW2." The post had 16,000 votes.
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Musk's salute on Monday drew mixed reactions online; critics said the head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was clearly making a gesture similar to the Nazi salute, while Musk's defenders said it was a Roman salute.
According to Italian media, Andrea Stroppa, a Rome-based adviser to Musk, posted and then deleted a clip of Musk making the gesture, with the caption: "Roman Empire is back starting from Roman salute."
A number of scholars vehemently disagreed.
"Historian of fascism here," Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor at New York University, wrote on X. "It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too."
What People Are Saying
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday: "This is a delicate moment. It's a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. 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. This is a new beginning. Let's hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead."
Democratic Representative Dan Goldman, co-chair of the House Antisemitism Task Force, said in a statement Tuesday: "Elon Musk has repeatedly pushed for the racist and antisemitic 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory, endorsed the Nazi-sympathizing German Political Party AfD, and allowed anti-Jewish hate to proliferate unabated on his website, X.
"Viewed in that context, and regardless of any justification, his salute last night at Donald Trump's inauguration rally can only be interpreted as a Seig Heil salute that is synonymous with Nazi support for Hitler," Goldman added.
What Happens Next
Musk is set to head up DOGE as Trump's second term unfolds, but the department is also facing a number of lawsuits from progressive and public-interest groups. All three lawsuits accuse the department of violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act, a 1972 law that requires federal advisory committees to follow certain transparency rules.
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