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The Anti-Defamation League defended Elon Musk on Monday after the billionaire tech mogul thanked supporters of President Trump with a gesture that some left-wingers on social media referred to as a fascist salute.
“It seems that [Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,” the antisemitism watchdog wrote on X.
Musk, 53, caused a stir on the internet after he placed his right hand over his heart and then extended his arm in the air – as if to signal he was giving his heart to Trump supporters – ahead of the Inauguration Day parade inside Capital One Arena.
“Thank you for making it happen. Thank you, my heart goes out to you,” the founder of SpaceX and Tesla said as he made the gesture.
The ADL noted that Trump’s first day back in the White House is a “delicate moment” for some people and that “many are on edge,” which the group said it “appreciates.”
“Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety,” the ADL said.
The New York-based group essentially argued that people on both sides of the aisle need to relax before jumping to conclusions.
“In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath,” the ADL said.
“This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead,” the group’s post concluded.
Musk, who will lead the newly-created Department of Governmental Efficiency under Trump, was critical to Trump’s re-election effort — donating roughly $250 million in the race’s final stretch to PACs and other campaign committees for digital ads and voter canvassing.
The South African-born businessman spent much of his time during the presidential transition at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
