On January 20th, an unsettling scene unfolded when Elon Musk appeared to make two movements reminiscent of Nazi salutes—widely recognized as “Sieg Heil” or “Roman salutes”—during an official presidential event at a podium that displayed the presidential seal. As Jewish elected officials deeply committed to fighting antisemitism in New York, we strongly denounce this incident and the absence of an apology. Elon Musk’s history of promoting the antisemitic “Great Replacement” theory and his support for the Nazi-affiliated AfD party in Germany make it clear that this was no accident.
On the same day, sweeping executive actions were taken by President Trump, including the pardoning of hundreds involved in the January 6th riot. This group included an individual infamously seen wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” shirt during the Capitol insurrection. The administration’s decisions on that day are poised to negatively impact thousands, and we firmly stand with those affected in New York.
Speaking out against these acts should be straightforward. Any group or leader claiming to oppose hatred towards Jews and minority communities must do so without hesitation. There is no place for vagueness when dealing with Nazi references. The moment has come to actively safeguard ourselves and our communities, rejecting any normalization of hate.
