Since President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 19, many people within the right wing have claimed that Elon Musk is autistic. Why, one may ask? Because during his inaugural speech, Musk performed a Nazi salute.  

Claims of Musk’s supposed autism have begun to litter social media, specifically on Twitter. I think they’re full of it. 

I’m autistic, and not many people who know me would know that I even have autism. But let me tell you, my experiences and the struggles that I deal with today should not be used as an excuse for antisemitic behavior.

Now, I’m not here to claim a “holier than thou” attitude; in fact, I’ve made tons of mistakes and I embrace them as a part of my growth. People help me out in certain social situations just to make sure things don’t go awry, and I believe it’s my responsibility to learn from my mistakes and do better. 

I’d expect the same from Musk, since he is a 53-year-old, and head of the Department of Government Efficiency for the Trump administration. 

Even today I struggle with social situations and talking to people out of fear of possibly annoying them. I sometimes say things I regret or shouldn’t have said in that time and place. What I do is either apologize or take it on the chin, not throw a tantrum and refuse to take accountability for my actions.

This is exactly what Musk has done. No apologies, no remorse. Instead he starts tweeting, using buzzwords such as “woke media,” attempting to paint news sources as woke propaganda when in actuality, these news outlets were simply describing the incident at hand. 

“In his speech during the second Trump inauguration, Musk twice extended his right arm towards the crowd in an upward angle. The gesture was compared to a Nazi salute or fascist salute. Musk denied any meaning behind the gesture.” This simple Wikipedia explanation pops up after searching for information about the incident.  

Musk has also pointed fingers at the “radical left,” blaming Democrats for making him look bad because he isn’t on their side. He’s done quite possibly everything but take accountability and denounce Nazism.

If you’re so convinced that you’re not a Nazi, stop treating your actions like a joke as Musk does in this tweet and renounce the Nazi regime. Show concern towards the video clips of you and Hitler doing the exact same salute, and think about the effects of your actions.

Musk has also reposted accounts trying to paint politicians such as Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tim Walz in a bad light. This is not a new tactic, but one that the Trump administration has continuously been fond of. Musk has even gone as far as retweeting 2 posts that paint Taylor Swift as a Nazi. 

All of these still images come with explanations, something that Musk cannot relate to himself. 

Swift was blowing a kiss out to the crowd. AOC was doing a common arm gesture that people use while public speaking to emphasize a thought. All of Musk’s reactions are working to protect his reputation, not deny Nazism. 

None of these distractions to his own actions confront the actual meaning of the salute at hand, but only work to alter the narrative in an effort to maintain control. 

In particular the autistic narrative really is bad because it infantilizes autistic people, like me, into thinking we can’t control our actions, which is far from the truth. I have been in classrooms with autistic students so severe they can’t speak or don’t understand certain situations. In fact the student that impacted me the most was nonverbal. 

I have family members that have the same disorder as me and they are homeschooled because of it. To paint Musk as an autistic man who can’t control his emotions creates a narrative that is not only insulting, but serves as a manipulation tactic to portray the left as intolerant. 

This is extremely disappointing to see.

In Musk’s case, silence is compliance. George Orwell once said, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final most essential command.” Your eyes and ears do not deceive you, believe Trump’s administration when they use the political rhetoric that has been the downfall of so many countries before us. 

Stone O’Bryant is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].