Kathrine Frich
A single photograph from a mayoral inauguration has ignited a familiar culture-war argument online.
Within hours, a routine gesture was recast as evidence of something much bigger.
For conservatives, the image is less about what happened on stage than how it was received.
A photo spreads
A picture of Zohran Mamdani, newly sworn in as New York City’s mayor, began circulating rapidly on conservative social media, according to reporting by Fox news.
In the image, Mamdani is standing on stage with his arm extended toward the crowd. Supporters described it as a simple wave. Critics said the gesture looked uncomfortably familiar.
Conservative commentators quickly began drawing comparisons with a moment involving Elon Musk a year earlier.
Side-by-side claims
Eric Daugherty shared a clip juxtaposing Mamdani’s wave with Musk’s arm gesture at a Trump inauguration rally in 2025.
That earlier moment had prompted widespread media debate over whether Musk’s movement resembled a Nazi salute.
“When Elon does it, it’s a ‘Nazi salute,’” Daugherty wrote. “When Zohran does it, the media is silent.”
The post spread widely, reinforcing claims of selective outrage.
Hypocrisy argument
Katie Miller framed the comparison even more bluntly, posting the Mamdani clip with the caption: “The left are hypocrites. Here is the proof.”
According to Yahoo News, conservatives argue the issue is not about defending Musk, but about what they see as inconsistent standards.
They point out that Musk’s gesture prompted extensive coverage from outlets including CNN, The Guardian, Vox and The Washington Post, as well as strong reactions from public figures.
Then and now
At the time, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described Musk’s gesture as a “Heil Hitler salute.”
The Anti-Defamation League disagreed, calling it “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm.”
One year later, Mamdani’s wave initially passed without similar scrutiny. For critics, that silence became the story.
Musk himself reacted to the renewed debate with two words: “They lie.”
Pushback and response
Others rejected the comparison, arguing context matters.
Musk, they noted, had aligned himself with Donald Trump and engaged with far-right figures, while Mamdani is a democratic socialist addressing supporters at his own inauguration.
Still, critics asked why the gesture became controversial at all if intent and context were decisive.
By Friday, Mamdani’s press office issued a statement: “In no way was this a Nazi salute.”
Click to display external content from t.co,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Sources: Fox News
