CNN obviously hasn’t learned anything from its past debunked coverage of President Donald Trump and members of his administration, let alone the continued cratering of its viewership and losses of tens of millions of dollars in profits over the course of the thankfully defunct Biden-Harris regime. Once again, hosts and contributors on the cable side of the media company have tried to equate a member of Trump’s White House as a closet Nazi.
Network anchors on Monday speculated that Elon Musk may have intended to mimic a Nazi salute during his appearance at Trump’s pre-inauguration rally the night before. The hosts repeatedly aired footage showing the Tesla founder and “first buddy” placing his right hand over his chest before extending it outward with his palm facing downward. “It was quick,” declared Erin Burnett before turning it over to her colleague, waiting for her to state what they both were thinking. “I think our viewers are smart, and they can take a look at that,” she replied. “It’s not something that you typically see at American political rallies.” Check out the video below.
NEW: CNN suggests Elon Musk made a Nazi salute during Trump’s event at Capitol One arena, purposely leaves out Musk’s comments when he said his heart goes out to the crowd.
CNN: “It’s a salute. It was quick. I think our viewers are smart and they can take a look at that, but it… pic.twitter.com/LDoWQODod4
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 20, 2025
Trump has faced a wide array of criticisms, including frequent comparisons to Adolf Hitler. When he held a rally at Madison Square Garden in October, critics quickly drew parallels to a 1939 event held at the same venue by an American offshoot of the Nazi Party. Popular X influencer Collin Rugg shared the context of Musk’s gesture, which came while he thanked the crowd for electing Trump. “Thank you,” said Musk before doing so. “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.”
Musk’s “moment of intensity,” as Burnett described it, featured a lively display of dance moves and fist-pumping to energize the Washington, D.C., crowd. In many ways, Musk has become a symbolic figure for the administration’s MAGA base, serving as a constant presence alongside Trump and a conduit for the sentiments of his millions of supporters.
Shortly after CNN’s coverage, Musk responded directly, sharing a follower’s comment that characterized Burnett’s suggestion of a Nazi salute as the latest move in the network’s “dirty tricks campaign” against Trump. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” Musk said, quoting the post and adding a sleeping emoji.
Andrea Stoppa, a close confidant of Musk, later explained, “That gesture, which some mistook for a Nazi salute, is simply Elon, who has autism, expressing his feelings by saying, ‘I want to give my heart to you’,” he said. “That is exactly what he communicated into the microphone. ELON DISLIKES EXTREMISTS!”
The Anti-Defamation League defended Musk, advising against Nazi comparisons on Trump’s first day in office. “It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,” the group posted on X. Others came to Musk’s defense too, including the Media Lies account on X: “CNN is accusing Elon Musk of doing a Nazi salute on stage. Full context shows Elon was gesturing that his heart goes out to the crowd. They’re grasping at straws today.”
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