Overview
- Sen. Cory Booker concluded his California Democratic Party convention speech on May 31 with a hand-over-heart motion followed by an arm extension that critics equate with a Nazi salute.
- Booker’s office dismissed the allegations, with spokesperson Maya Krishna-Rogers calling it a wave and accusing detractors of acting in bad faith.
- Conservative influencers circulated side-by-side clips of Booker and Elon Musk’s January inauguration gesture to spotlight what they say is a partisan media double standard.
- Elon Musk amplified the critique on X, labeling mainstream outlets a “legacy media psy op” for downplaying Booker’s gesture after framing his own similar motion as extremist.
- The Anti-Defamation League previously defended Musk’s salute as an awkward enthusiasm gesture and has not publicly addressed Booker’s arm motion.