It seems that Mr. Musk’s salutation style is rather unique, seemingly inspired by Francis Bellamy, the author of the pledge of allegiance to the flag. It’s interesting that this style of greeting was once popular in the United States, until the 1930s when the similarity with the salutes to Hitler and Mussolini aroused concerns. It’s chilling to see that Mr. Musk may not have enough historical knowledge to support his use of this salute. Furthermore, it seems that the historian Douglas Coupland, who once praised Mr. Musk as ‘not political,’ may have a rather ‘original’ view of history, much like his political view.
Read from: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/21/the-gesture-politics-of-elon-musk-salute