Fact Check: Obama, Harris, And The Nazi Salute Claims - Viral?

Are we truly seeing history repeat itself, or are we simply witnessing the weaponization of symbols in the modern political arena? The resurfacing of claims that prominent figures like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris are giving a Nazi salute underscores the deeply polarized environment and the spread of misinformation.

The internet erupted in early 2025 with accusations that former President Barack Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other leading Democratic figures were performing the Nazi salute. This controversy stemmed from photos and videos circulating online, primarily on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, showing these individuals with their arms raised. Critics swiftly drew comparisons to the infamous Nazi salute, sparking intense debate and accusations of double standards. A post by user sassafrass84 on January 21, 2025, featuring images of Obama and Harris, encapsulated the sentiment, stating, "Here we go again with the MSM narrative." Another post by the account doge designer, posted on january 20, 2025, included the photos of obama and harris, and wrote: why isnt cnn showing this?

The firestorm wasn't limited to Obama and Harris. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, found himself embroiled in a similar controversy during President Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration celebrations. Musk was accused of making a gesture at a Trump rally that many interpreted as a Nazi salute. Social media was immediately flooded with commentary, with some users quick to condemn Musk, while others defended him, often pointing to similar gestures made by Democratic leaders. Musk responded to the nazi accusations on tuesday, by echoing libs of tiktok x channel which compared musk's gesture to ones used by barack obama, hilary clinton, kamala harris and elizabeth

For instance, twitter user @jdl_uk_official accused obama of being a nazi in the following tweet: "#france #us what is the #quenelle salute and why are nazis barack #obama and tony parker using it?"

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) even weighed in on the accusations against Musk, posting on X that "[Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute," arguing that people on both sides of the aisle were being subjected to similar scrutiny. This defense, however, did little to quell the online furor.

The controversy highlights the complexities of interpreting gestures and the ease with which images can be manipulated or taken out of context in the digital age. Snopes, the fact-checking website, addressed the claims, noting that the images of Obama, Harris, and others were often "taken out of context from speeches in which each politician was making an unrelated gesture." When viewed in video format, the gestures appeared as unremarkable waves or movements used to emphasize points during speeches. For instance, we found that the picture being circulated as obamas crotch salute was a real photo, but that the circumstances were being grievously misrepresented.

Shortly after donald trump asked his supporters on to raise their hands and pledge that they would vote for him in the 2016 presidential election (drawing comparisons to nazi germany), an image.

Nevertheless, the damage was done. The accusations served to further inflame political tensions and reinforce existing biases. The incident underscores the importance of critical thinking and media literacy in navigating the increasingly complex information landscape.

The debate also brings to the forefront the concept of "fake news" and the role of social media in disseminating misinformation. As one post stated, "This is yet another example of fake news involving elon musk, and here are the reasons why they were not giving the nazi salute." The sentiment reflects a broader concern about the erosion of trust in traditional media and the rise of alternative narratives on social media platforms. Another post by the account doge designer, posted on january 20, 2025, included the photos of obama and harris, and wrote: why isnt cnn showing this?

President donald trump took office in 2025, his inauguration celebrations were marked by controversy over a gesture made by his supporter elon musk that many people claimed was a nazi

The incident involving Musk is not isolated. Similar accusations have been leveled against other public figures, often with little or no evidence to support the claims. This trend raises questions about the motives behind such accusations and the potential for them to be used as a form of political attack.

In the wake of the controversy, some social media users flooded X with images of various celebrities, including Taylor Swift, making similar hand gestures, seemingly to highlight the absurdity of the accusations. Others pointed out that progressive leaders have made similar gestures without facing criticism of the same magnitude, suggesting a double standard at play. Don't call elon musk a nazi just for saying nazi things, supporting nazi groups, and doing the nazi salute. however, it's notable that progressive leaders have made similar gestures without facing criticism of the same magnitude.

This isn't the first time Obama has been targeted with such claims. Instances of accusing Obama of being a nazi have occurred before.

He retweeted a post by @libsoftiktok featuring images of barack obama, kamala harris, hillary clinton and elizabeth warren making the same hand gesture.

The legacy media is pure propaganda.

You are the media now.

Posts shared on facebook show images of former u.s.

President barack obama standing with his hands clasped in front of him while those around him are either holding their right hands over their

Elon musk gestures as he speaks at capital one arena in washington, d.c., on jan.

Elon musk was visibly bursting with excitement after president

On x, musk commented on a post that included a collection of images showing former president barack obama, former secretary of state hillary clinton, former vice president kamala harris and

The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on x on january 22, 2025.

Walz put his hand in the air above his head to greet the attendees of a campaign rally.

No credible source compared it to a nazi salute at the time.

(saul loeb\/afp\/getty images) in footage of the speech, obama repeatedly raised his right arm

People raise their hands as democratic presidential nominee u.s.

A heated debate has erupted online after photos of former president barack obama, vice president kamala harris, and other democratic figures resurfaced, showing them with their arms raised.

Critics on social media are drawing comparisons to the nazi salutea claim sparking controversy and accusations of double standards.

When viewed in a video format, sometimes with words of a speech, the gestures are unremarkable waves or gestures to emphasize points being spoken.

Another post by the account doge designer, posted on january 20, 2025, included the photos of obama and harris, and wrote:

why isnt cnn showing this?

obama and kamala performing a nazi salute. a post by user sassafrass84, posted on january 21, 2025, included the photos and said:

here, we go again with the msm narrative

Snopes is careful not to say that musk was definitely giving the nazi salute, but it implies that he was.

Speaking of the latter, snopes says those images were taken out of context from speeches in which each politician was making an unrelated gesture, including

Let me start by simply pointing out that top democrats like barack obama, hillary

Category Information
Name Barack Hussein Obama II
Born August 4, 1961 (age 62 years), Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Political Party Democratic
Education Columbia University (BA), Harvard Law School (JD)
Profession Lawyer, Author, Politician
Career Highlights 44th President of the United States (2009-2017), U.S. Senator from Illinois (2005-2008), Illinois State Senator (1997-2004), Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2009)
Spouse Michelle Obama
Children Malia Obama, Sasha Obama
Official Website obama.org
net worth Approximately $70 Million
Category Information
Name Kamala Devi Harris
Born October 20, 1964 (age 59 years), Oakland, California, United States
Political Party Democratic
Education Howard University (BA), University of California, Hastings College of the Law (JD)
Profession Lawyer, Politician
Career Highlights 49th Vice President of the United States (2021-Present), U.S. Senator from California (2017-2021), Attorney General of California (2011-2017), District Attorney of San Francisco (2004-2011)
Spouse Douglas Emhoff
Children Cole Emhoff, Ella Emhoff (stepchildren)
Official Website harris.senate.gov
net worth Approximately $8 Million
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