Elon Musk’s “Button To Kill” Statement: A New Wave of Tension Amidst the Nazi Salute Controversy
Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has once again come under the radar of the media and public, this time due to a statement he made in an interview with Fox News. After the accusations of Nazi salute, Musk said, “If people could kill me by pressing a button, they would have pressed that button immediately.” This statement has been given in the context of the ongoing criticism against him, where he is being accused of promoting white supremacist signals.
What did Musk say?
Musk accused his critics of running a “relentless propaganda campaign” and said his character was being assassinated. “I die a little hard, so now they’re trying to destroy my image,” Musk said. He didn’t name any specific individuals or groups, but vaguely blamed “legacy news” readers.
Controversy Kiadd: Nazi Salute
It all started in January when Elon Musk attended a rally for Donald Trump and a video went viral in which he was seen raising his hand in what many people called a “Roman salute” — a gesture historically associated with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party.
After this gesture, Musk repeatedly denied that he had anything to do with Nazi ideology, but some of his posts further fueled the controversy. In January, Musk made a post in which he wrote:
“Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Goring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler! Bet you did the Nazi that’s coming.”
This post was wordplay with the names of Nazi figures — such as Hess, Goebbels, Goring and Himmler — which many people considered insensitive and offensive.
Musk’s daughter’s reaction
Elon Musk’s estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson also reacted on this issue. In an interview given to Teen Vogue, Vivian openly criticized her father’s gesture. “The Nazi salute scene was insane. People should be told clearly that it was a Nazi salute,” Vivian said. “That crowd is equally guilty, but that is not being paid attention to.”
Vivian had already changed her name and gender identity before Musk and has separated from him. Her statement brought an emotional and personal angle to the controversy.
Defense of Musk
Musk defended his gesture while talking on Joe Rogan’s podcast. “I think people should understand that I am not a Nazi,” Musk said. He argued that his gesture did not support any political or fascist ideology. He said that the real Nazism was about war and genocide, not gestures or fashion.
He also said that every action of his is being deliberately portrayed in a wrong way so that his image is tarnished in the public eye. “I am against any hate ideology. My jokes and gestures are being attacked out of context,” Musk defended.
Public Reaction and Divide
Elon Musk’s supporters stand with him and see this controversy as another example of where “woke culture” is used to dismiss someone by analyzing anything out-of-context. On the other hand, critics are saying that influential people like Musk should think seriously about the consequences of their words and actions.
Elon Musk’s personality has always been polarising – his innovations are as popular as his controversial statements are infamous. The Nazi salute controversy has raised another big question mark on his image. Was this just a misunderstanding, or is Musk knowingly adding fuel to the fire – only time will answer this. But one thing is for sure, Elon Musk’s name is again in the headlines, and this debate is not going to stop yet.