What organizations or people accused Elon Musk of the Nazi salute?

1. Who explicitly accused Musk of making a Nazi or fascist salute

Journalists and publications report that named historians, Jewish groups and commentators publicly described Musk’s gesture as a Nazi or fascist salute: Ruth Ben‑Ghiat, a New York University history professor, wrote it “was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too” ^{[4] [5]}. German commentators and newspapers — including pieces in Berliner Zeitung, Focus and Stern — characterized the gesture as recognizably fascist or comparable to a Nazi salute ^[1]. Several Jewish organizations and commentators also condemned the gesture; The Jerusalem Post summarized that “many Jewish groups accused Musk of performing an ‘unambiguous’ Nazi salute” ^[1].

2. Civil‑rights and watchdog groups offered both condemnation and restraint

Not all prominent Jewish or civil‑rights organizations agreed. The Anti‑Defamation League publicly urged calm and stated it “seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute” ^[2]. That ADL position contrasted with other Jewish organizations and individual critics who called the gesture intentional or unmistakable ^{[1] [6]}.

3. Politicians and public figures who weighed in

Elected officials and political commentators debated the meaning: Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez criticized the ADL’s dismissal and accused the group of “defending a Heil Hitler salute” performed and repeated for emphasis ^[6]. Nigel Farage said he did not think Musk’s gestures were Nazi salutes and described them instead as “very unwise,” signaling that some right‑leaning figures rejected the accusation ^[1].

4. Far‑right and extremist reactions changed the calculus of concern

Reporting documents that white‑supremacist and neo‑Nazi online communities embraced or celebrated the gesture regardless of intent — an outcome that heightened alarm among critics who saw the act as playing into extremist symbolism ^{[6] [2]}. That reaction was cited by journalists as a reason the gesture mattered beyond interpretation debates ^[3].

5. Musk’s response and defenders

Elon Musk himself denied Nazi intent, called the accusations “dirty tricks” and mocked critics in subsequent posts referencing Nazi figures, framing the controversy as media mischaracterization ^{[1] [7]}. Allies and acquaintances offered alternative explanations: Andrea Stroppa at one point framed it as a “Roman salute” or, later, as Musk expressing affection (“I want to give my heart to you”), and Musk’s father called accusations “absolute nonsense” ^{[4] [1]}.

6. Historians’ debate: Nazi salute vs. Roman salute vs. awkward gesture

Scholars and commentators disagreed over technical labels. Some historians and legal experts in Germany said the gesture was clearly within the family of fascist/Nazi salutes and that context mattered ^[3]. Others noted the Roman salute was historically related and that intent and words surrounding the act are relevant; Snopes reported clips omitted context and that debate centered on appearance versus intent ^{[8] [9]}.

7. Why the question matters: symbolism, intent, and political context

Multiple outlets stressed context — Musk’s recent political shifts toward the right and his public platform — as amplifying the significance of any ambiguous fascist‑style gesture, and noted that whether accidental or deliberate, extremist groups’ appropriation made the moment consequential ^{[10] [3] [6]}. At the same time, the ADL’s call for measured interpretation highlighted concerns about rushing to label ambiguous acts amid heated politics ^[2].

8. Limitations in the record and what reporting does not establish

Available sources document who accused Musk and who defended him, and they capture public debate and reactions; they do not, however, offer conclusive proof of Musk’s intent beyond his denials ^{[1] [7]}. No source in the provided set gives a legal finding or definitive forensic conclusion proving deliberate Nazi allegiance — the dispute in reporting remains between observers’ readings of the gesture and Musk’s own explanations ^{[8] [3]}.

Bottom line: multiple historians, Jewish groups, European commentators and left‑leaning public figures publicly called Musk’s gestures a Nazi or fascist salute, while the ADL, some politicians and Musk’s allies disputed that characterization and framed the movement as awkward, Roman‑style or affectionate; the broader alarm has also been shaped by how extremist groups responded to the gesture ^{[1] [2] [3] [6]}.