Elon Musk, one of the close associates of newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, gave a speech on Monday after Trump’s inauguration, during which he thanked the crowd and then made a gesture which some interpreted to be a Nazi salute.

The gesture involved Musk pounding his chest and shooting his right arm in an angular motion toward the sky. He then turned his back to the audience and repeated the gesture towards the back of the stage.

Some users on social media quickly linked Musk's gesture to the Nazi salute. Others just described it as “odd looking”. Musk has not yet provided any clarification regarding the meaning of the motion.

Of note is the fact that Musk's speech was filled with gestures, including hand signals indicating victory and a pantomime of planting flags on Mars. During the inauguration ceremony itself, Musk waved his hands and gave the thumbs up when Trump spoke about an American flight to Mars.

Musk was named by Trump as one of the leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), together with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.