Pennsylvania elected official resigns after she made a gesture similar to Elon Musk's controversial gesture
A local elected official in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, has resigned after coming under fire for a video shared on social media.
Laura Smith resigned from the Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors after a video in which she mimicked a gesture made by Elon Musk during a rally related to President Trump's inauguration. During a speech, Musk held his hand to his chest and then extended his arm saying "my heart goes out to you." Some said the gesture looked like a Nazi salute, while others said it was a harmless gesture taken out of context.
In the video, Smith taps her chest three times with her hand and then puts her arm straight out, saying, "My heart goes out to you."
In a statement announcing her resignation, she said the video she posted "has been greatly mischaracterized" and said she has taken down the video.
"I abhor racism, anti-Semitic or discrimination in any fashion or form and my record as a township supervisor attests to my commitment to treat all people with dignity and respect," she said in the statement in part.
The board intends to accept the resignation at a public meeting as soon as possible, according to the township website.
Smith previously resigned from the board of Knights for Life, a local foundation that supports people facing life-threatening medical conditions and adversity, and the board of trustees of the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library.
In a statement, Knights for Life confirmed Smith resigned from the board and said "we remain dedicated to our purpose and reject anything that distracts from our mission."
"The views expressed in [Smith's] TikTok video are in direct conflict with the mission and principles upheld by the Montgomery County-Public Library, its Board of Trustees, staff and the community it serves," the library system said in a statement in part.