A British priest mimicked Elon Musk's controversial arm gesture during a recent anti-abortion rally in Michigan.
Why It Matters
During a brief speech at an inauguration event for President Donald Trump on January 20, Musk slapped his hand on his chest before forcefully extending his straightened right arm out and upward with an outstretched hand while making a grunting noise. He repeated the eyebrow-raising gesture seconds later, telling the crowd, "My heart goes out to you."
Musk, who has recently expressed support for far-right political leaders in Europe, was quickly accused of performing a Nazi salute. Supporters of the close Trump ally insisted that there was no Nazi link, instead saying that the motion was an innocent physical representation of Musk sending his "heart" to the crowd.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO tapped to lead Trump's Department of Government Efficiency has Asperger's syndrome, a developmental disorder falling under the autism spectrum that could hinder social interactions and the ability to decipher body language.
What To Know
Calvin Robinson, a priest leading an Anglican Catholic Church parish in Michigan who also serves as lead spokesman for the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP), repeated the gesture while speaking at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
"Every country in Europe is embracing death," Robinson said during his speech. "America, as far as I can see, is the only country fighting for life. And that's down to you guys. So God bless all of you for doing what you're doing. Please keep doing it."
"I hope that I can encourage you, and my heart goes out to you," he added before doing a slightly less forceful version of Musk's arm gesture and smiling at the crowd, which reacted with applause and a smattering of laughter.
Robinson shared a video clip of the moment on Tuesday and pinned it to his profile on X, formerly Twitter. By Wednesday, outrage erupted over the gesture, while others praised Robinson for supposedly "trolling" his political opponents and the media.
"Today I received hundreds of nasty calls, texts, voicemails and emails today from very bitter, angry, vile leftists," Robinson wrote in an X post on Wednesday. "They are often the very thing they accuse you of. I am not a Nazi. But I forgive you of your ignorance. My heart goes out to you!"
Newsweek reached out for comment to Robinson via email on Wednesday night.
What People Are Saying
Conservative commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek, the self-proclaimed "Shieldmaiden of the far right," in a post to X: "Gotta love @calvinrobinson."
Freelance writer Jenn Morson, on X: "Not only did this priest do a Nazi salute his cassock at a 'prolife' conference, he has pinned it to the top of his profile. It's not lost on me the number of priests who died at Nazi death camps. But here he mocks their martyrdom. And for what? Laughs? Owning the libs? Sinful."
Etan Nechin, New York-based journalist for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, on X: "Seeing a Black pastor do a Nazi salute popularized by a white Afrikaner at the inauguration of a billionaire felon and reality star really proves we're living in the dumbest timeline. And these idiots think they're the guardians of 'western civilization.'"
What Happens Next
Criticism of the gesture by Musk, which has since been repeated by Robinson and some other conservatives, is likely to continue. The future implications of Robinson's decision to repeat the "Nazi salute" are unclear.
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