Elon Musk is standing firm on his controversial hand gesture during Donald Trump’s inauguration, refusing to apologize despite widespread backlash. In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, published on February 27, Musk addressed the accusations from liberals and others who claimed he had made a Nazi salute by extending his right hand.
Musk insisted that the gesture was simply a sincere acknowledgment to the crowd and said he was surprised by the negative reaction. However, he then played with words, deliberately running together the phrase “did not see” to sound like “Nazi,” followed by a smirk as Rogan laughed in response.
Not stopping there, Musk made another reference to Nazi Germany, quipping, “Goebbel anything up,” a nod to Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi propaganda minister. This remark echoed a similar joke Musk had posted on social media earlier in response to the criticism.
Shifting to a more serious tone, Musk dismissed the outrage as absurd and reiterated that his gesture was intended to be “positive” and “loving.”
Despite the controversy, including his frequent collaborations with former President Trump on government spending reforms, Musk made it clear that he had no intention of apologizing and was instead brushing off the criticism with humor.