The media called Elon's salute a "gesture." Here's why they won't call it what it is

We all watched in shock as Elon Musk thumped his chest on the day of Trump’s inauguration and threw a Nazi salute with such vigour that the effort made him grunt. Then, he did it again. But to hear several mainstream media outlets tell it, the move was a “gesture” or a “hand gesture” that was simply “accused” of “appearing to be” a fascist salute. This characterization made people mad. Because I saw it, you saw it, we all saw it. Even the far-right extremists are laughing at people who are trying to downplay it — because they took it as a clear Nazi salute. But Elon said he didn’t mean it like that. So the media, with a pathological need to both-sides issues, watered down their headlines. There’s a reason we end up with coverage that doesn’t meet the moment we’re in. Having worked in these newsrooms for years, I can explain it to you. So let’s talk about it. SUBSCRIBE ✨ SUBSTACK: rachelgilmore.substack.com PATREON: patreon.com/rachelgilmore TWITCH: twitch.tv/rachel_gilmore MORE READING: https://deadspin.com/the-future-of-the-culture-wars-is-here-and-its-gamerga-1646145844/