The MAGA world wasted no time finding an explanation for Elon Musk’s evocative hand gesture. Musk quickly flung up his hand and after placing it over his heart at a post-inauguration rally, putting his arm at an angle that raised eyebrows across the world.

The red MAGA hat has transformed into a symbol of the country’s willingness to absorb almost anything — any lie, any grievance — into a new, sour normal.