There is no direct evidence to support the claim that Elon Musk's maternal grandparents, Joshua N. Haldeman and Winnifred "Wyn" Josephine (Fletcher) Haldeman, were "Nazi party members in Canada," nor that they moved to South Africa "because they supported apartheid."

Errol Musk laughed and defended his son against allegations of making a Nazi salute, calling the accusation “absolute nonsense” and “rubbish.”

The Roman salute is conditionally allowed in Italy and outright banned in Germany. German chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to Musk's gesture by saying, "We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany," he said, "what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme right positions."