The pledge itself was part of an Americanization program for immigrant children. But in 1942, when the United States was fighting the Nazis in World War II, the extended arm gesture was abandoned. “It looked too close to the Nazi salute,” Winkler said.
Whatever Elon Musk was trying to invoke on Monday, his salute looked pretty close to a Nazi salute even if it was not identical. He first put his hand on his chest, which is not part of the Nazi salute, and could be closer to what those American school children did until 1942.
But the pledge of allegiance salute was dropped in a way that left no room for misinterpretation: The gesture had become inextricably tied to the Nazis.
“The common American perception was, ‘These are our enemies and we don’t want to be like them,’” Winkler said.
Mr. Musk is now courting far-right parties in several European countries. His audience in Washington on Inauguration Day included Tino Chrupalla, a co-leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany party; Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, whose party is descended from the post-Fascist movement; Nigel Farage of Britain’s Reform Party; and Eric Zemmour of France, who is to the right even of the French National Rally’s Marine Le Pen.
“What is happening now is predictable,” Die Zeit said in its editorial. “Neo-Nazis and right-wing radicals can interpret the stretched right arm as a gesture of fraternization and empowerment.”
Emma Bubola in Rome contributed reporting. Audio produced by Parin Behrooz.
