In what is possibly the most lurid of Donald Trump’s countless grisly scenes at a rally, the former president on Saturday bemoaned the ugly chaos of these times as supporters raised one finger in an overhead salute reminiscent of the “heil Hitler” gesture.
Trump ticked off his imaginary list of current horrors in a sort of panoply with music playing in the background.
A few supporters, some with their heads bowed, stood quietly in the audience with one finger raised above their heads. Some viewers speculated that it refers to nationalist “America First” slogan., while others claim it’s a symbol of QAnon, which Trump is increasingly supporting. Some in the audience used a modified “OK” white supremacist hate sign with just an outstretched index finger.
Aaron Rupar, a journalist who publishes clips of Trump speeches, called the scene “one of the weirdest things I’ve seen at a Trump rally. All that’s missing is passing around the Kool-Aid right after.”
When Trump first became president, he was shockingly greeted with a Hitler gesture by members of the far-right National Policy Institute. The organization’s president, Richard Spencer, shouted, “Salute Trump, salute our people, salute victory!” Trump was not on stage.
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