Maye Musk, mother of tech billionaire Elon Musk, is urging her son to sue CNN and other news outlets for peddling the “Nazi salute” narrative against him.
At President Donald Trump’s inauguration rally, Musk went viral over a gesture he made to the crowd the media widely linked to Adolf Hitler.
“That salute was evocative of things we’ve seen through history,” CNN’s Kasie Hunt reacted last week. “It’s not something you typically see at American political rallies.”
During a panel discussion on Monday night, CNN commentator Catherine Rampell accused Musk of making two “Sieg Heil” salutes, prompting her conservative colleague Scott Jennings to suggest to her and others to “lawyer up,” forcefully rejecting her attacks against Musk.
CNN commentator Catherine Rampell accused Elon Musk of giving two “Sieg Heil” salutes during a panel discussion. (Screenshot/CNN)
After an X user urged Elon Musk to sue Rampell and CNN for defamation, the billionaire replied “Good idea,” something his mother immediately supported.
“I have been receiving so much hatred because of the @CNN panel with @crampell yelling about Nazi salutes,” Maye Musk reacted on Tuesday. @ElonMusk, please sue them. Thank you @ScottJenningsKY for trying to intervene with the truth.”
Maye Musk is urging her son Elon Musk to sue news outlets who peddled the “Nazi salute” narrative against him. (REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)
Maye Musk supported the idea of suing PBS News and The Guardian following the suggestion they be sued by another X user, replying “You are right! Sue @guardian and @NewsHour too.”
PBS News had posted on X, “Billionaire Elon Musk gave what appeared to be a fascist salute Monday while making a speech at the post-inauguration celebration for President Donald Trump at the Capital One Arena,” later comparing the gesture as appearing “similar to the ‘Sieg Heil’ used by Nazis at their victory rallies.”
The Guardian ran the headline “Elon Musk appears to make back-to-back fascist salutes at inauguration rally.”
She also appeared to endorse suing MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, who told Maddow Tuesday night “Of course” the Tesla CEO made the “Nazi salute.” Maddow previously said Musk’s gesture provided a “bloodcurdling chill to the day,” lumping it in to other signals of “authoritarianism” coming from Trump and those pardoned over Jan. 6. and invoking “the SA in Germany” all in the same monologue.
On Wednesday, after an X user wrote “The Nazi hoax had gone on long enough,” Ms. Musk replied “Agree, otherwise they won’t stop.”
Her son already signaled he intends to sue Walz, writing on X “I think I will. Tim Walz is a creepy [clown].”
Former Democratice vice presidential nominee Tim Walz said “of course” Elon Musk did a “Nazi salute” during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
Defamation lawsuits have made headlines in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a jury found that CNN defamed Navy veteran Zachary Young over a 2021 report and ruled that he could seek punitive damages, which resulted in a settlement.
Last month, ABC News settled a lawsuit brought by Trump for $15 million after anchor George Stephanopoulos falsely repeated the claim that the president was found “liable for rape” in the civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll.
