Elon Musk attended the celebratory rally for the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump on the 20th (local time) at Washington’s Capital One Arena. Musk, regarded as a key figure in Trump’s administration, shared the victory with supporters. He took to the stage inside the arena, as the inauguration parade was moved indoors due to cold weather, and greeted supporters who were waiting.
On stage, Musk spread his arms and shouted “YES!” to the cheering audience, expressing his joy by pumping his fists. Standing in front of the microphone, Musk shared his feelings, “This is what victory feels like. It was not an ordinary victory. We stood at the crossroads of human civilization.”
He went on to express his vision: “Thanks to you, the future of civilization is secured. We will finally have safe cities. Safe borders and reasonable spending are fundamental,” he emphasized.
Musk then declared, “We will send the ‘DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency)’ to Mars,” and invited the audience to imagine “how wonderful it would be for American astronauts to plant a flag on another planet.”
During his inaugural speech, President Trump expressed support for Musk’s ‘Mars exploration,’ mentioning that astronauts would plant the American flag on Mars, which Musk enthusiastically supported with a thumbs-up. Musk’s SpaceX is developing the super-heavy spacecraft ‘Starship’ to enable human settlement on Mars.
However, controversy arose when Musk, while envisioning “American astronauts planting a flag on another planet,” made a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute. He positioned his right hand on his chest, fingers spread, then raised his right arm diagonally upward with the palm facing downward, resembling what the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) defines as a Nazi salute. The ADL defines “extending one’s right arm with the palm facing downward” as a Nazi salute.