In the aftermath of Elon Musk’s unmistakable Nazi salutes at Donald Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025, much of the media coverage has predictably veered toward obfuscation, excuse-making, and, most disturbingly, a kind of ableist scapegoating. Instead of calling out the gesture for what it is—an unambiguous alignment with fascist symbolism—mainstream narratives have gone to great lengths to soften its implications. Some have even resorted to blaming Musk’s autism or Asperger’s diagnosis, a form of saneism that shifts focus from fascism to neurodivergence. This is a dangerous, disingenuous, and ableist deflection, and as a mental health professional, I’m here to say: stop blaming autism for white supremacy.
Saneism in the Defense of Fascism
Saneism—the systemic discrimination against people deemed “mentally unfit”—has long been a tool of oppression, wielded to delegitimize, discredit, and silence. In this case, it’s being weaponized to absolve Musk of accountability. Media outlets and commentators alike have leaned into the narrative that Musk’s alleged neurodivergence might explain his behavior, as though autism or Asperger’s somehow predisposes someone to fascist gestures.
This is not only an absurd and unscientific claim but a profoundly harmful one. It reinforces the stigma that neurodivergent people are socially inept, dangerous, or incapable of understanding the implications of their actions. It erases the agency of neurodivergent people while simultaneously absolving powerful individuals of their complicity in oppressive systems.
Let’s be clear: Autism is not a precursor to fascism. Fascism is learned. It is deliberate. It is a choice made by people in positions of power who understand exactly what they are doing. To conflate neurodivergence with hate is to perpetuate ableism on a massive scale, distracting from the real issue: the normalization of fascist ideology in our society.
The Media’s Role in Normalizing Hate
The media’s handling of Musk’s gesture reflects a broader pattern of reluctance to call out fascism for what it is, especially when it comes dressed in wealth, influence, and tech-world allure. Instead of interrogating the deeper implications of Musk’s actions, outlets have chosen to debate his intentions, contextualize the moment as a misunderstanding, or—most egregiously—blame his neurodivergence.
This avoidance is more than cowardice; it’s complicity. By deflecting attention from the explicitly fascist nature of the gesture, the media allows it to be rebranded as harmless, ironic, or accidental. This creates fertile ground for fascism to grow, unchecked and unchallenged, under the guise of plausibly deniable “jokes” or misunderstandings. And by dragging autism into the narrative, it compounds the harm, further marginalizing neurodivergent communities in the process.
Why This Matters: The Path from Symbols to Systems
As a mental health professional, I work with clients who are intimately familiar with the toll of ableism, racism, and systemic oppression. Many of them are neurodivergent, many of them are Black, and all of them live under the weight of a society that demands they justify their existence while figures like Musk are given free passes to perpetuate harm. This moment is a microcosm of how hate operates—not in overt, glaring announcements, but in subtle, insidious gestures that the powerful dismiss while marginalized communities suffer the consequences.
Symbols matter. They carry weight. When someone as visible as Musk performs a Nazi salute, whether ironically or not, it signals alignment with systems of white supremacy. The fact that this act is being minimized or dismissed outright is not an accident; it is part of the slow normalization of fascism in mainstream culture. And by blaming autism, the media doubles down on the harm, turning attention away from systemic hate and toward an already marginalized group.
A Call to Action
We cannot let this slide. We cannot let Musk or his defenders hide behind ambiguity, ableism, or irony. We must call this out for what it is: a deliberate act of fascist signaling, made more dangerous by the media’s refusal to engage with its implications.
If we allow saneism and ableism to dictate this narrative, we betray not only neurodivergent communities but all those targeted by the systems of hate Musk’s gesture reinforces. As someone who works every day to support mental health and challenge oppression, I know how deeply these narratives harm. And I refuse to let them go unchallenged.
To the media: Stop blaming autism for fascism. To the public: Hold Musk accountable. To all of us: Resist the normalization of hate, in every form it takes. This is not a misunderstanding. It is a wake-up call. And we cannot afford to hit snooze.
