Conservatives torch media after Mamdani avoids Musk-level backlash over 'identical' on-stage gesture

Conservatives are calling out what they say is a media double standard after newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen extending his arm during his inauguration Thursday - a gesture they argue mirrors a motion Elon Musk made a year ago that ignited widespread headlines accusing the tech billionaire of delivering a "Nazi salute." 

"Not a single one of these legacy media outlets reported on Mamdani's identical hand gesture which they called @elonmusk a nazi for Do you see what's happening?" popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted Friday, accompanied by screenshots of media outlets stretching from the Guardian to Vox reported on accusations that Musk delivered a "Nazi-style salute" to Trump supporters Jan. 20. 

Liberals and critics frequently attacked Trump while he was on the campaign trail by calling him a Hitler-esque fascist, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, who compared Trump to the German dictator during a town hall in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle. Musk attended Trump's inaugural parade in 2025, where he spoke to supporters and was accused of giving a Hitler-style salute to the crowds - a narrative that was promoted by Democrats such as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

Musk and Republicans lambasted and mocked the accusations when they cropped up, including the tech billionaire floating a potential defamation lawsuit against Walz for promoting the claim. 

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Fast-forward nearly a year, conservatives are questioning why Mamdani has not faced similar accusations after he was seen extending his arm in a gesture similar to Musk's. 

"Zohran Mamdani did the same exact gesture today at his swearing in that the left called a 'Nazi salute' when @elonmusk did it," former liberal and WalkAway - a movement encouraging people to leave the Democratic Party - founder Brandon Straka posted to X.   

"They lie," Musk posted to X Friday in response to Libs of TikTok's message showing a swath of headlines from earlier in 2025 reporting that the tech billionaire allegedly gave a Nazi salute. 

"HOLY CRAP! Zohran Mamdani just did the EXACT SAME gesture as Elon Musk When Elon does it, it's a 'Nazi salute.' When communist Zohran does it, the media is silent. The media is the enemy of the people," conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted. 

"Did Mamdani do a nazi salute?!?! Literally shaking rn I'm sure CNN and MSNBC will be all over this," Libs of TikTok posted in another message mocking Democrats over their January comments targeting Musk.

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"When Elon signals his heart goes out to the crowd he's a 'NAZI'. When Mamdani does it, its perfectly fine... The left tried to use that signal from Elon to gaslight people into thinking he is a Nazi because they saw it as politically useful.. They are not ideologically consistent and their hypocrisy knows no bounds. They do NOT care about any of that. They just care about political power and feeling virtuous," another posted. 

"Zohran Mamdani can make this gesture and everyone loves him for it, but when Elon Musk does it? The leftist media wasted no time calling him a Nazi," the Media Research Center posted to X. 

Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, took office Thursday, with ceremonies that included a public swearing-in outside City Hall and an earlier private oath at the decommissioned City Hall subway station. Mamdani was seen lifting his hand from his heart to the crowds of supporters at the end of his speech during the public ceremony. 

"I was elected as a Democratic socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic socialist," he said.

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"Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously," Mamdani said, acknowledging that his agenda may not always succeed but insisting it would be bold. "To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers' lives."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office regarding conservatives' comments over the salute considering previous coverage of Musk, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Musk served as the Trump administration's public leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Trump established at the start of his second administration to weed out fraud, government overspending and mismanagement from the federal government.

Musk was a common fixture of the administration - serving as a special government employee - until May, when he criticized Trump's "big, beautiful bill" for raising the debt ceiling, fracturing the relationship. Musk and Trump have since been spotted at public events together, including chatting with one another. 

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Musk slammed comparisons to Nazis toward the end of his DOGE tenure, pointing to it as another example of the long-running attacks against Trump and his supporters. 

"Well, I mean, look, it's a relentless propaganda campaign, which obviously President Trump has experienced for a very long time, 20 years, maybe longer," Musk said on Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump" in May. "And politics is a blood sport, so they're going to come up with whatever attacks they can to destroy the public perception of someone."

"Now, obviously, I've not harmed anyone in my life, so it's an outrageous thing to claim that I'm a Nazi," he added.