Jon Stewart is reluctant to name Elon Musk's inauguration gesture on The Daily Show

As you probably know, Musk did do it again almost immediately. “Son of bitch,” Stewart reacted. “You really want to make sure the people in the back see it, I guess. I’m just going to be generous and say maybe that was Elon’s attempt at dabbing on the haters.”

Stewart’s reluctance to use the phrase “Nazi salute” echoes the conversation that has sparked around the gesture online, where observers are divided over Musk’s actual intent. Many, including Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, condemned the gesture as an overt signal to the far right. Others, including the Anti-Defamation League, argued against that interpretation. Musk “made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the ADL posted on Twitter/X. “In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.” Musk didn’t explicitly confirm or deny his intention behind the gesture. He did respond to several posts about it on his social media platform, including to thank the ADL. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks,” he wrote of his critics. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”

Basically, it’s been a big ol’ barrel of laughs so far! You can check out Stewart’s full Daily Show recap below.