Stephen K. Bannon, a former White House official, stirred controversy during a speech to a right-wing crowd by making a gesture resembling a Nazi salute while rallying support for President Trump. His “Fight, fight, fight” rallying cry and salute drew comparisons to similar actions by Elon Musk and other speakers, prompting outcry from commentators and leading Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s far-right National Rally, to cancel his appearance. This incident highlights the tension between Trump’s brand of nationalism and European far-right movements, which are trying to distance themselves from past associations with racism and antisemitism.
Stephen K. Bannon, a former official in the White House and a conservative podcast host, concluded a speech to a right-wing audience near Washington on Thursday with a gesture that some, including a far-right French leader, compared to a Nazi salute.
While encouraging President Trump to seek a constitutionally barred third term, Mr. Bannon energized a packed ballroom with the phrase “Fight, fight, fight,” echoing Mr. Trump’s own remarks following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last year. As the crowd roared with approval, Mr. Bannon lifted his right arm to the side, palm facing downward, in a brief salute.
Mr. Bannon did not elaborate on his gesture, which bore a resemblance to one made by Elon Musk the previous month that also sparked controversy. He did not respond right away to a request for comment.
Jordan Bardella, president of France’s far-right National Rally, stated that he canceled his appearance at the conference on Friday morning after seeing “one of the speakers provocatively make a gesture alluding to Nazi ideology.”
Online commentators echoed similar comparisons regarding Mr. Bannon’s gesture on Thursday night. However, despite the criticism, another speaker, Eduardo Verástegui—a Mexican actor behind the 2023 film “Sound of Freedom” on child trafficking—repeated the gesture from the CPAC stage the following morning.
“My heart goes out to all of you in President Trump’s movement,” Mr. Verástegui stated, mimicking Mr. Bannon’s gesture by moving his right hand from his heart and holding it in the same position, triggering applause from some in the audience. He then raised his fist and called out “fight” multiple times.
When Mr. Musk made a similar gesture at a rally in Washington last month, it drew comparisons to the notorious Nazi salute associated with Adolf Hitler. Some observers referred to it as a Roman salute, also termed the “Fascist salute,” adopted by the Nazis. Such gestures, made by all three men, are prohibited in Germany. Mr. Musk has rejected the Nazi comparisons.
Mr. Bardella’s decision to withdraw from CPAC—a major conservative event that has increasingly attracted foreign right-wing figures—highlights a contradiction faced by nationalist parties in Europe.
While Mr. Trump may appear to be a logical ally, his extreme nationalist stance and associations may now pose a risk.
His economic policies, which he claims prioritize America, conflict with European nationalists who advocate similar strategies in their own nations. Additionally, Mr. Trump and some of his allies have taken positions further to the right on various issues than many European counterparts, potentially making their association more of a hindrance than a help.
This is particularly relevant to parties like Mr. Bardella’s National Rally, which has sought to reshape its past reputation as a racist, antisemitic entity, successfully broadening its appeal to French voters through a process of normalization.
Emma Bubola contributed reporting.