Twitch streamer HasanAbi was left stunned as he watched Elon Musk’s controversial hand gesture during the live broadcast of Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025. Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has since faced significant backlash after many viewers speculated that he made the Roman Salute, a gesture often associated with the Nazi regime, during his speech after Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.
While addressing the crowd, Musk said, "Some elections are important, some are not. But this one, this one really mattered and I just want to say thank you for making it happen." But it was a gesture Musk made with his right hand that quickly caught the attention of social media users, many of whom compared it to the infamous Nazi salute.
Twitch streamer HasanAbi, known for his political commentary, reacted to the moment in disbelief, questioning: "Did he just sieg heil? What?" His shocked reaction quickly went viral, with millions of views and clips being reshared on social media platforms like X and Instagram.
did elon musk just hit the roman salute at his inauguration speech?
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) January 20, 2025
In the wake of the controversy, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a statement defending Musk’s actions, claiming that the gesture was an "awkward" one made in a moment of enthusiasm and was not a Nazi salute. The ADL's statement read: "This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nzi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge."*
This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety.
— ADL (@ADL) January 20, 2025
It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on…
Despite the ADL's attempt to downplay the incident, HasanAbi wasn’t having it. During his live Twitch stream, he criticized the organization, stating: "These guys [ADL] have been trying to get me banned off Twitch because of my criticisms of Israel. Oh my god! Oh my god, I didn't think they would be so shameless, dude."
HasanAbi, a vocal critic of the ADL, pointed out his previous post on X, joking that Musk's support for Israel would protect him from any accusations of antisemitism. "I didn’t think that this joke was going to be the truth. I said, 'It’s okay though. He is pro-Israel, don’t worry guys.' And then the ADL did the damn thing, they did do that!"
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