Elon Musk Faces Allegations of Performing a Nazi Salute at Trump's Inauguration, Here's How Grimes Responded

Grimes, the ex-partner of Elon Musk, has addressed the uproar surrounding his controversial hand gesture, which has gone viral.

During his speech at Washington, DC's Capital One Arena on Monday, the Tesla CEO began by saying, 'Thank you for making it happen. Thank you,' before slapping his right hand on his chest and extending it in a salute.

He repeated the gesture once more, adding, 'My heart goes out to you.'

The world's richest person faced criticism for his 'awkward gesture,' with many comparing it to the Nazi salute.

The Anti-Defamation League defines the salute as a tribute to Adolf Hitler, involving the act of 'raising an outstretched right arm with the palm facing down.' In 1930s Nazi Germany, it was paired with the phrases 'Sieg Heil' or 'Heil Hitler.' Today, it is widely performed by white supremacists and neo-Nazis, who the ADL refers to as using 'the most common white supremacist hand gesture in the world.'

In reaction to Elon's salute, the ADL issued a statement on X (which is owned by Elon), clarifying that the Tesla CEO's gesture was "an awkward motion made in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute". The statement also encouraged people to "show grace toward one another, perhaps even extend the benefit of the doubt, and take a moment to breathe."

Despite the ADL's clarification, fans still criticized the Canadian singer-songwriter. Grimes and Elon were in an on-and-off relationship from 2018 to 2023 and have three children together.

On Tuesday, a fan account of Grimes shared a post saying, "I'm ready to sacrifice my Grimes follow and get a tattoo cover-up for this, btw. I'm reaching my breaking point."

The "Oblivion" singer responded with an extensive X post, explaining, "While I truly appreciate your concern, it's unhealthy that people are so upset when I haven't even been online today and am only now discovering the controversy. I don’t know what happened, and I won't rush into a statement – I’m not a citizen of this country."

"It's ridiculous that someone can be this canceled for something their ex did before they even knew it was happening," she continued. "I am not him. I won’t make a statement every time he does something. My only role is to send love back into a hurting world."

When another fan urged Grimes to comment further on the situation and reject hate groups, she replied, "I'm more than willing to denounce Nazi-ism – and the far-right. Would that help clear things up?"

I've just finished breakfast and need to catch a flight, still weighing how to handle things diplomatically because I feel overwhelmed. But if there's any doubt, I'm more than willing to clarify things meaningfully.

In her initial response, Grimes mentioned that she could "talk trash, land on numerous magazine covers, become a feminist icon, and gain popularity – but it wouldn't serve any purpose."

Elon has already dismissed the salute debate as merely part of a "dirty tricks" campaign against him, and the ADL has termed it a misinterpreted gesture. However, the real consequences are already in motion. We're now at a stage where people are pushing his ex, Grimes, to speak out against hate groups, while at the same time, those very groups are hailing the gesture as a victory.

Regardless of the intent behind it, you'd think that the owner of one of the most powerful viral platforms (Elon owns X Corp.) would have predicted how this might unfold in the court of public opinion.