A gesture made by former Trump strategist Steve Bannon at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) has ignited sharp debate, with critics calling it a Nazi salute and Bannon dismissing it as nothing more than a wave. As he ended his speech with a call to “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Bannon raised his right arm, palm flat, in a move that has drawn backlash from across the political spectrum. The incident adds fuel to ongoing discussions about the normalization of extremist rhetoric within far-right circles.
The reaction has been swift and divided. While some of Bannon’s allies suggested the gesture was meant to provoke liberals and the media, others within right-wing circles distanced themselves from it. French far-right leader Jordan Bardella canceled his scheduled CPAC speech in response, saying he would not associate himself with a gesture “referring to Nazi ideology.” Even Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist and vocal Trump supporter, remarked in a livestream that the moment was “getting a little uncomfortable even for me.”
Bannon, however, remains unapologetic, insisting that he routinely waves to his audience at the end of his speeches and that any attempt to portray the moment as sinister is a distortion. “I do it at the end of all my speeches to thank the crowd,” he said. Despite this defense, the optics of the incident have fueled broader concerns about the political direction of CPAC and the rhetoric emanating from its stage.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has previously been criticized for inconsistent responses to similar controversies, condemned Bannon’s gesture, noting his “long and disturbing history of stoking antisemitism and hate.” However, some observers pointed out the ADL’s earlier reluctance to criticize Elon Musk when he made a similar gesture on Inauguration Day. The discrepancy has led to renewed scrutiny of how public figures and institutions respond to rising extremism.
The controversy underscores growing tensions over the mainstreaming of far-right symbolism in American politics. While Bannon and his supporters dismiss the backlash as overblown, his critics argue that such moments are not incidental but part of a broader shift toward authoritarianism. With the 2024 election cycle intensifying, the stakes in this debate are only likely to grow.
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