Even neo-Nazis say it’s getting a ‘little excessive’ following Steve Bannon’s CPAC salute

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After Steve Bannon was accused of wrapping up his CPAC speech with a Nazi salute, prompting one far-right French politician to cancel his appearance at the conservative confab, prominent white nationalists said that the gesture has gotten “a little excessive” even for them. He then quickly flashed his stiff arm out in an angular fashion with his palm down before ending his speech with an “amen.” open image in gallery White supremacist Nick Fuentes said that it’s ‘getting a little uncomfortable even for a guy like me’ after Steve Bannon was accused of making a fascist salute at CPAC Nick Fuentes, an influential neo-Nazi activist whose followers call themselves “Groypers,” reacted to Bannon’s speech by calling it “crazy” that suddenly the fascist gesture was “in now” among conservatives. open image in gallery Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gives what appears to be a Nazi salute at an event on the day of Trump’s inauguration “Steve Bannon is a Roman Catholic Irishman. Following Bannon’s speech, Jordan Bardella – the president of France’s far-right National Rally – pulled out of his planned CPAC appearance because “one of the speakers provocatively made a gesture referring to Nazi ideology.” Asked by the New York Times to react to Bardella’s remarks, Bannon denied making a Nazi salute, claiming he merely “waved to the MAGA movement as I always do in my motivational speeches.” He also lashed out at Bardella, calling him “too weak to govern France” and asserting that “the leaders of this worldwide revolution gathered @ CPAC consider him a coward.” Meanwhile, another CPAC speaker – Sound of Freedom producer Eduardo Verástegui – also replicated the gesture on Friday morning, saying his “heart goes out to all of you” while drawing applause as he held his right arm out in the familiar position.