A gesture associated with the Nazis has a surprising history. But in Germany, there was little doubt about its meaning.

See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs. Clockwise from upper left: A dance troupe performs a musical revue titled “Heil Hitler” circa 1938; Elon Musk on Monday;

“It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,” the Anti-Defamation League wrote Monday in a statement on Musk’s own social media platform X, referring to Musk’s outstretched-arm movement that came as he was thanking his supporters.