Musk says he's been targeted by 'legacy media propaganda'

Elon Musk on Tuesday blamed "legacy media propaganda" for the public's increasing criticism of him since he entered the political fold.

"Well, I mean, unfortunately, what I’ve learned is that legacy media propaganda is very effective at making people believe things that aren’t true," Musk said when asked on CNBC's "Power Lunch" if his work for President Trump was worth the backlash.

When CNBC reporter David Faber asked for an example of this, Musk pointed to the controversy surrounding the hand gesture he made during Inauguration Day that was compared to a Nazi salute.

"That I’m a Nazi, for example, and how many legacy media publications, talk shows, whatever, try to claim that I was a Nazi because of some random hand gesture at a rally where all I said was that my heart goes out to you," Musk said Tuesday.

"I was talking about space travel, and yet the legacy media promoted that as though that was a deliberate Nazi gesture, when in fact, every politician, any public speaker who’s spoken for any length of time, has made the exact same gesture," he added.

The tech billionaire came under scrutiny in January after he made a straight-arm gesture during a speech at Trump's inauguration parade. Shortly after making the gesture, he told the crowd "My heart goes out to you," before he turned around and made a similar gesture facing the other way.

Amid reports of the gesture, some came to his defense, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit focused on fighting antisemitism.

Faber said he spoke with a number of people close with Musk who rejected the accusations Musk was making a Nazi salute.

In an interview earlier this month, Musk argued the critics engaged in "character assassination."

Faber went on to ask about the backlash over Musk's leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk defended the effort, which has involved mass layoffs and program spending cuts at numerous federal agencies.

Public opinion about Musk and some of his businesses have tumbled in the wake of DOGE's moves.

In surveys by Axios and Harris Poll grading brand reputations in a host of areas, SpaceX in 2021 was ranked No. 5, and Tesla was No. 8, with scores of 81.1 and 80.2, respectively.

By 2025, SpaceX is ranked No. 86, and Tesla is No. 95, with scores of 66.4 and 61.3, respectively.