[A photo of Elon Musk and Mars. Photo Credit: Pixabay]

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has found himself at the center of multiple controversies involving Nazi symbolism and far-right politics, both in the United States and Germany.

The controversy began at President Trump’s post-inauguration celebration on January 20th, where Musk, who has increasingly aligned himself with conservative politics despite previous claims of political moderation, delivered a speech at Capital One Arena.

In his speech, the CEO declared to the crowd, “Some elections are important, some are not. But this one really mattered. I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you. My heart goes out to you.” 

As he concluded this comment, Musk made a gesture that many interpreted as resembling a Nazi salute, bringing his right arm to his heart before extending it outward.

The clip displaying Musk’s gesture quickly became a heated subject of debate across social media platforms.

Thousands of X (formerly Twitter) users and Instagram accounts, from both America and other countries–including Germany–uploaded posts criticizing Musk. 

While many conservative and right-leaning supporters rushed to Musk’s defense, the controversy intensified when Musk himself attempted to address the situation through humor.

Three days after the post-inauguration speech, on January 23rd, rather than issuing a formal statement, Musk posted a series of Nazi-related puns on his official X account.

Some of the wordplays featured in his post were “His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler!” and “Bet you did nazi that coming.”

One of the puns, which referenced Heinrich Himmler, one of Hitler’s most trusted advisors and the Reich Leader of the SS who orchestrated numerous atrocities during the Holocaust, drew immediate condemnation. 

Tensions heightened when Musk appeared via video at a rally for Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right political party known for its controversial stance on immigration and alleged antisemitic views.

During his address, Musk told the gathering they were “the hope of Germany” and suggested the nation should “move beyond past guilt,” a statement widely interpreted as referring to the Holocaust. 

The AfD, which has gained increasing support in recent years, is frequently compared to the Nazi party due to similarities in their political positions and ideologies.

This connection has made Musk’s involvement particularly controversial.

Social media users have rejected attempts by Musk’s supporters to attribute his behavior to his autism.

“Autism does NOT make you a fascist,” one X user argued, while another stated, “I have autism and I know not to do that.”

European leadership responded with firm resistance, as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined others warning Musk to stay out of German affairs. 

The tech billionaire dismissed these concerns on his X platform, describing the criticism as “tired” and, in an apparent mockery of the German leader, referred to Chancellor Scholz as “Oaf Schitz” - a response that many political observers say has only further strained diplomatic relations.