Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) used a gesture at the end of a speech that many have referred to, when used by Republicans or conservatives, as a “Nazi salute. The move came as he finished up a 15 minute speech at the California Democrat Party convention on Saturday.
Democrats handled the situation with Booker far differently than they had previous instances by other political persons. Conservatives took jabs at Democrats for their lack of backlash in light of their overreaction to the supposed “Nazi salute” that Elon Musk was accused of doing just months ago.
Democratic politicians appeared to be silent on the matter after Booker made a similar gesture that Musk did as well while he gave a speech in Janaury. Musk said at the time that it was a gesture meaning “my heart goes out to you.”
Will Corey Booker be plastered all over msm with headlines claiming he’s a ‘Nazi’? pic.twitter.com/bPkrjoTK1J
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 31, 2025
Multiple large conservative accounts on X immediately mocked the clip, sarcastically comparing Booker to a Nazi and asking if he would get the same treatment from the mainstream media that Musk did when he made the gesture.
Conservative influence Sara Rose posted, “I’m literally shaking right now. Cory Booker is literally Hitler. I can’t wait for fake news to cover this as extensively as they did Elon when gave his heart out to everyone!”
I’m literally shaking right now.
Cory Booker is literally Hitler.
I can’t wait for fake news to cover this as extensively as they did Elon when gave his heart out to everyone! pic.twitter.com/UBMwOOfWvY
— Sara Rose
(@saras76) May 31, 2025
Gunther Eagleman posted the clip, with the caption, “HOLY SH*T! Cory Booker is a straight up NAZI! WOW”
HOLY SH*T!
Cory Booker is a straight up NAZI!
WOW pic.twitter.com/7DUyFOgyCE
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 31, 2025
Collin Rugg also shared the viral moment, saying, “NEW: Democrat Senator Cory Booker appears to do a ‘Nazi’ salute in front of a large crowd of Democrats. I’m looking forward to the wall to wall coverage from the ‘honest’ and totally not biased media.”
NEW: Democrat Senator Cory Booker appears to do a “Nazi” salute in front of a large crowd of Democrats.
I’m looking forward to the wall to wall coverage from the “honest” and totally not biased media. pic.twitter.com/6oHjYlKxEl
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 31, 2025
In the aftermath of Musk being called a Nazi because of the gesture, Democrat politicians as well as left-wing pundits were critical of Musk, going to the extent of claiming that he was signaling to white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) at the time attempted to grill Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) over the gesture during a hearing when she was nominated to be the UN Ambassador.
FLASHBACK: Dem Senator Chris Murphy asked Elise Stefanik about Elon Musk gesturing “heil Hitler salutes” in January.
What will he say to Cory Booker now?pic.twitter.com/PneNx3aPiF
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 31, 2025
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) also claimed that the Anti-Defamation League—which admitted that Musk’s movement was “not a Nazi salute” but an “awkward gesture”—was “defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.”
Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.
People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. https://t.co/0gLdMCU3UV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 21, 2025
