Senator Cory Booker gave California Democrats a passionate speech over the weekend—and finished it with a stiff-armed salute that had social media buzzing. But not because of the gesture itself. The real outrage? The complete silence from the very same media outlets that went ballistic when Elon Musk did something strikingly similar just months ago.
Booker’s salute, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the one Musk made at a public event earlier this year, has drawn attention for exposing yet another example of blatant media hypocrisy. Political commentator Richie Greenberg was one of the first to point it out, and Elon Musk himself chimed in, calling out the double standard: “Such hypocrites!!”
When Musk made his salute—described by him as a symbolic gesture of heartfelt connection—it was instantly labeled by PBS and others as “appearing to be a fascist salute.” Newsrooms fanned the flames, with liberal pundits and blue-check activists accusing Musk of flirting with Nazi imagery.
That false narrative spread like wildfire, dragging Tesla and Musk’s public image through the mud. But now, faced with an almost identical gesture from a sitting Democratic senator, those same voices are suddenly struck silent.
RedState’s Nick Arama didn’t hold back, noting that the Booker incident is revealing. “That salute has not a penny’s worth of difference from the salute that Elon Musk made during inauguration events,” he wrote. “Maybe Elon was a little more enthusiastic, but that’s all. Can we now expect all those people to chastise Booker for his Nazi salute?”
Of course not. Instead, mainstream outlets like Newsweek ran headlines focused not on the optics of Booker’s gesture, but on Republicans allegedly “pouncing.” The site’s early coverage didn’t label it an “apparent Nazi salute” like they did with Musk—instead, they described Booker’s speech as an inspiring moment that “earned goodwill.”
That kind of bias isn’t just a one-off—it’s a pattern. PBS, which tried to smear Musk by suggesting he performed a fascist salute, hasn’t issued any statements or critical reporting on Booker’s gesture. Arama called them out directly, writing, “Will we be hearing from these unbiased paragons of journalism on Booker? I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Musk, no stranger to media smear campaigns, has often found himself at the center of these manufactured outrages. His recent battles with the left—from “hate speech” accusations to union bashing claims—have all followed a familiar script: take something innocuous, spin it into a scandal, and use it to kneecap a political opponent.
Now, the same press that tried to destroy Musk over a salute is practically tripping over itself to protect Booker. And Musk isn’t letting them forget it.
It’s a case study in partisan selectivity. The left and its media allies don’t operate under a code of ethics or consistency. Their only rule is to defend Democrats and destroy Republicans—regardless of what’s actually true.
If Musk’s salute was worth smearing across national headlines, then so is Booker’s. But instead of scrutiny, Booker gets a pass—and glowing write-ups about how inspiring he is to the party base.
The mainstream media’s refusal to apply the same standards to both sides has never been more obvious. And Elon Musk is right to call it what it is: shameless hypocrisy.
