A study by the Media Research Center claims a media double standard in how similar hand gestures by Elon Musk and Senator Cory Booker were covered. Musk's gesture in January, interpreted by some as a Nazi salute, received extensive negative coverage, while Booker's similar gesture in June was largely ignored by major news outlets. Conservatives highlighted the discrepancy, accusing the media of bias against Republicans and those associated with Donald Trump.
Media's glaring double standard exposed: Musk vilified while Dem senator gets a pass for identical gesture
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A study by the Media Research Center claims a media double standard in how similar hand gestures by Elon Musk and Senator Cory Booker were covered. Musk's gesture in January, interpreted by some as a Nazi salute, received extensive negative coverage, while Booker's similar gesture in June was largely ignored by major news outlets. Conservatives highlighted the discrepancy, accusing the media of bias against Republicans and those associated with Donald Trump.
Trending- 1 January (2025): Elon Musk makes a hand gesture at Capital One Arena during Trump's inauguration celebration, leading to accusations of a 'Nazi salute.'
- 2 Week immediately following Musk's gesture: CNN, MSNBC, PBS spend over 16 minutes covering it.
- 3 More than a month after Musk's gesture (Feb 23): MSNBC's 'Velshi' has a segment on whether Musk is a 'crypto-Nazi.'
- 4 Saturday (implied June 7, 2025): Cory Booker makes a similar gesture at the California Democratic Party's convention.
- 5 Following Booker's gesture: CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and broadcast networks ignore it.
- 6 This week (implied June 2-8, 2025): Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh mentions Musk's gesture on CNN.
- Accusations of media bias, Musk being 'vilified' and called a 'crypto-Nazi' by some pundits, Booker's gesture largely ignored, ongoing debate about media impartiality.
What: Alleged media double standard in covering similar hand gestures made by Elon Musk and Senator Cory Booker.
When: January (Musk's gesture), Saturday (Booker's gesture, implied June 7, 2025), and ongoing coverage of Musk's gesture.
Where: Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena for Musk's gesture), California (California Democratic Party's convention for Booker's speech).
Why: The Media Research Center (MRC) study suggests a partisan bias in media coverage, with left-leaning outlets extensively criticizing Musk (who was associated with Trump at the time) for a gesture they deemed a 'Nazi salute,' while ignoring a similar gesture by a Democratic senator.
How: Musk placed his hand over his heart and quickly extended it. Booker placed his right hand on his chest before raising it to the crowd. The MRC analyzed coverage from CNN, MSNBC, PBS, ABC, NBC, and CBS.