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Elon Musk’s Controversial Salute and Trump’s Inauguration: A Polarising Start

Writer's picture: Connor BanksConnor Banks

Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States was marked by sweeping executive actions and a controversial appearance by billionaire Elon Musk, whose gestures at the event have sparked widespread backlash.


A Contentious Start to Trump’s Presidency

Hours after being sworn in, President Trump announced a raft of executive orders aimed at undoing key policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Addressing supporters at an indoor parade event in Washington, D.C., Trump promised to reverse “80 destructive and radical executive actions” from the previous administration.


Among his first actions, Trump issued pardons to approximately 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. This included shortening sentences for 14 members of far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, some of whom had been convicted of seditious conspiracy. Trump also declared illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a national emergency, reinstated policies barring citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, and designated drug cartels as terrorist organisations.


On the international front, Trump announced the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, citing concerns about the nation’s energy independence. He further ordered the repeal of a Biden-era memo barring oil drilling in the Arctic and began the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organisation, criticising the agency’s financial demands on the US compared to China.


AI image of Elon Musk and Donald Trump shaking hands.
Image generated by Leonardo AI

Elon Musk’s Controversial Salutes

The inauguration also drew headlines due to the actions of Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X. Musk, a prominent Trump supporter and donor, appeared onstage before Trump’s address and delivered remarks praising the audience for their contributions to the administration’s victory.


During his speech, Musk made a gesture that has been widely criticised. He placed his right hand over his chest before extending it outward in a motion many likened to a Nazi salute. “My heart goes out to you,” Musk told the crowd. “It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured.” He repeated the gesture moments later, prompting a storm of reactions on social media.



Historians and advocacy groups were quick to condemn Musk’s actions. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian of fascism, described the motion as a “Nazi salute” and “a very belligerent one too.” The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a statement calling the gesture “awkward” and advising restraint, though critics, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, accused the organisation of minimising the incident.


Musk responded on X, dismissing the controversy. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” he posted, adding a yawning emoji. He also reposted memes mocking the backlash, further fuelling the debate.


A Polarised Reaction

Supporters of Musk and Trump dismissed the outrage as overblown. “Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing?” one user wrote on X. Far-right groups, however, appeared to embrace Musk’s actions. Neo-Nazi leader Christopher Pohlhaus celebrated the gestures, stating, “I don’t care if this was a mistake. I’m going to enjoy the tears over it.”


Musk’s appearance added to the already divisive atmosphere surrounding Trump’s return to power. For many, it symbolised a normalisation of far-right rhetoric at the highest levels of influence, while others viewed it as a distraction from Trump’s ambitious policy agenda.



Trump’s inauguration has set the stage for a presidency marked by aggressive policy reversals and deeply polarising optics. Musk’s controversial gestures underscore the fraught political landscape, where symbolism and ideology often overshadow substantive debate. As the administration moves forward, the tension between unity and division will remain a central theme in American politics.

Elon Musk’s Bid to Acquire OpenAI: A Dangerous Power Grab?

Elon Musk’s Bid to Acquire OpenAI: A Dangerous Power Grab?

12 February 2025

Connor Banks

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Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, has made an audacious $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. This move, framed as a return to OpenAI’s non-profit origins, is widely seen as an attempt to consolidate even more power in the hands of Musk, whose growing influence within the U.S. government raises concerns about unchecked corporate control over artificial intelligence. Musk has long railed against OpenAI’s supposed deviation from its original mission, but in reality, this bid reeks of opportunism rather than altruistic desires.


Purple screen displaying "Introducing ChatGPT Plus" by OpenAI, with text about a pilot subscription for conversational AI. Green text and bars.

Elon Musk's Offer and OpenAI’s Response

Musk’s bid is backed by a consortium of investors, including Baron Capital Group, Valor Management, and Eight Partners VC. His stated goal is to bring OpenAI back to its original open-source, safety-focused AI development approach. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman swiftly rejected the offer, mocking Musk on social media and highlighting the hypocrisy of his sudden concern for OpenAI’s direction.


Altman responded with a direct statement: "No, thank you. But we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you’re interested." This sarcastic retort not only dismissed Musk’s bid but also referenced Musk’s own tumultuous acquisition of Twitter (now X), which has been widely criticised for its erratic management and steep decline in value since Musk took control.


The truth is, Musk’s involvement with OpenAI was never about philanthropy. After co-founding the organisation, he left in 2018 when his attempts to take over leadership were rebuffed. Since then, he has aggressively criticised OpenAI while working to build his own competing AI company, xAI. Now, his attempt to purchase OpenAI seems more like a desperate bid to maintain relevance in the AI race rather than any genuine concern for the ethical development of artificial intelligence.


Musk’s Government Role: A Clear Conflict of Interest

In January 2025, Musk was appointed as a special government employee, leading the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration. This position grants him the power to shape federal regulations and policies, including those governing artificial intelligence. If he successfully takes over OpenAI, Musk would be in the unprecedented position of both owning one of the most powerful AI companies in the world and shaping the very laws that regulate it.


This clear conflict of interest is nothing short of alarming. With his control over DOGE, Musk could weaken regulatory oversight on AI safety while advancing his own corporate interests. His past behaviour, such as gutting Twitter’s moderation policies and prioritising his personal business empire over public responsibility, suggests that he is unlikely to use such power responsibly.


Why Musk’s Takeover is Dangerous

  • Unchecked AI Monopoly: OpenAI is a leader in artificial intelligence research. If Musk acquires it, he could suppress competing AI innovations while monopolising the most advanced AI models for his own ventures. His history of aggressively eliminating competition suggests he would not hesitate to turn OpenAI into a weaponised asset for his empire.

  • Commercialisation Over Ethics: Musk frequently denounces OpenAI for prioritising profits, yet his own companies are aggressively profit-driven. His AI startup, xAI, is already integrating its technology into his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). A Musk-owned OpenAI would likely prioritise revenue streams over genuine AI safety, contradicting his supposed concerns about ethical AI development.

  • Manipulating AI Regulation: Musk’s dual roles in business and government would give him extraordinary leverage over AI policy. He could push for deregulation that benefits his businesses, weakening necessary safeguards designed to prevent AI abuse and exploitation. This represents a profound threat to democratic oversight and technological ethics.


Deterioration of AI Research Transparency

While Musk preaches about open-source AI, he has a history of keeping key developments within Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI tightly controlled. Under his ownership, OpenAI could become more secretive, reducing transparency in AI research and hindering global cooperation on AI safety.


Regulatory and Legal Challenges

Given the blatant conflict of interest between Musk’s government role and his corporate ambitions, regulators must intervene. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Justice should investigate whether Musk’s bid violates antitrust laws. There are also potential national security risks, given AI’s increasing role in cybersecurity, defence, and misinformation control.


If Musk is allowed to acquire OpenAI, the repercussions could be catastrophic. AI development would become even more concentrated in the hands of a single, unaccountable billionaire with a track record of erratic decision-making and self-serving business practices.


The Bigger Picture: The Musk Empire Expands

Musk already wields enormous influence across multiple industries, from electric vehicles to space exploration to social media. His attempt to control OpenAI is not about altruism—it is about dominance. If successful, he would have an iron grip over the future of artificial intelligence, steering it in ways that serve his personal vision while sidelining competitors and regulatory oversight.


This would not just impact AI development; it would shape how society interacts with AI on a fundamental level, from automation in industries to political discourse and national security. Musk has demonstrated time and again that he is willing to put personal power over public good, and there is no reason to believe this situation would be any different.


Stopping the Takeover Before It’s Too Late

Elon Musk’s bid to acquire OpenAI is not about returning it to its non-profit roots. It is a power play, designed to give him unprecedented control over the future of artificial intelligence while weakening regulatory checks that could hold him accountable. His history of self-interest, government manipulation, and anti-competitive behaviour suggests that such a takeover would be disastrous for AI ethics, innovation, and public trust.


Regulators, lawmakers, and industry leaders must take immediate action to block this acquisition and ensure that AI development remains in the hands of those committed to ethical progress, not a billionaire seeking yet another empire to control.

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