"They're going to try to make up anything that can hurt the Trump team's reputation."

The head of the new US government efficiency department, Ilon Musk, made a gesture similar to the Nazi* salute at a parade in Washington, DC on January 20. He raised his arm from his chest upwards twice while addressing Trump supporters. A controversy erupted on social media and in the media over whether the move was a Nazi salute or just an awkward gesture. Many accused Musk of far-right views. He himself has already had time to respond to the discussion that broke out and said that critics need to come up with more effective dirty tricks. "Their accusations in the spirit of 'you're all Hitlers' are already very annoying," the American billionaire emphasized. He even got into a kind of online altercation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The German leader complained about Musk for his recent support for the opposition Alternative for Germany party and said that "freedom of speech in Germany is not meant for extreme right-wing views." In response, Musk called him a nitwit and called him names by misrepresenting his last name.

"The American left is trying to make a story out of this."

Musk's gesture probably cannot be considered a deliberate repetition of the Nazi salute, suggests US international law lawyer Cline Preston:

"I don't think it was a deliberate repetition of the Nazi salute. It just happened to be a gesture that was very familiar to people. Ilon Musk is certainly a strange and very eccentric person. But I've seen other politicians in the news making similar gestures. Among them, for example, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and others. I'm sure it wasn't a Nazi salute. The American left is trying to make a story out of it. It fits their version of Donald Trump being a dictator, which allows them to make analogies to Nazis. They will try to make up anything that can damage the reputation of the Trump team."

"He's a smart enough person to not willfully make gestures like that"

What happened is simply a sad coincidence that is generating heated discussion around the world, notes Konstantin Sukhoverkhov, program manager at the Russian International Affairs Council:

"This is a very speculative topic, because the American media themselves are now wondering what it was. On the front page of The New York Times, for example, there is a piece with a photo of Ilon Musk raising his hand. I think that he is a smart enough person not to make such gestures intentionally, because it could put an end to his political career. Moreover, even if the political moment is removed, his investors, partners, and employees of his company may not like it. These are the very reputational costs that will not pay off. So I think that there is still some kind of eccentric, strange impulse here. Ilon Musk reacted very emotionally during Trump's inauguration speech. And was generally extremely joyful at the rallies. Now in the U.S., a number of media outlets are also interpreting this to mean that he showed a rocket flight to Mars. It seems to me that this is just a very sad coincidence."

"Trump's entire election campaign in terms of gesturing is a disaster

The gesture was not thought out and rehearsed, it is a continuation of the Republicans' authentic post-election behavior, believes Ivan Loshkarev, an associate professor of political theory at the Russian Foreign Ministry's MGIMO Moscow State Institute of International Relations:

"Trump's entire election campaign in terms of gesticulation is a disaster. He and his associates used slashing gestures, shoulder-level gestures, quick changes of gestures. This is not so much from a lack of public speaking, but to give speeches and events an informal, authentic feel. Elon Musk is no exception here. I don't think the gesture was thought out and rehearsed, it's an extension of authentic behavior in the post-election cycle. Formally, Musk does not hold any office, his "department" has not passed through the paperwork and is still more of a phantom structure. Therefore, it is too early to criticize the administration for his gestures. Another thing is that Musk is informally a very important member of the team, participated in the selection of personnel and the development of priorities for the near future. But again, this side of his activity is better judged by ideas and proposals, not gestures."

*"The ideology and symbols of Nazism are forbidden on the territory of the Russian Federation"