Donald Trump was filmed making a bizarre gesture from a roof of the White House as he appeared to joke about installing “nuclear” missiles on the historic residence. The US Commander-in-Chief went on an unusual walkabout with officials today (Tuesday) touring the famously pale domicile, at one stage walking out on top of a section of the building and shouting down to journalists assembled below.

When asked by one reporter what he was “trying to build?”, the president, who is also a real estate mogul, replied, “missiles”, before presumably joking “nuclear missiles”. Trump then proceeded to make a straight-armed gesture with his right hand possibly in an attempt to mimic rockets launching. Some online were quick to question the nature of the president’s odd display, with some drawing attention to the gesture, which he made twice. Taylor Popielarz, a political reporter for Spectrum News, shared footage of Mr Trump’s tour and wrote: “Look at the gesture he makes toward the end of the video”.

In still photographs of the president’s moving arm, it could be said the gesture resembles a Nazi, or Roman, salute, but writing on X one person wrote: “You mean the gesture of missles (sic) being launched right after he talks about missles? (sic) Or are you going to twist it into something else?

Another added: “I think he’s attempting to show the motion of a missile being launched. Let’s not compare this to what Musk did on inauguration day.”

Elon Musk made a similar straight-armed gesture at a party to celebrate Trump’s inauguration in January, but in response to critics trying to claim he was making a Nazi salute, the SpaceX and Tesla chief posted on X: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”

Trump had emerged from a door connected to the State Dining Room and stepped onto the roof above the press briefing room and west colonnade that walls the Rose Garden. He spent nearly 20 minutes surveying the rooftop and the grounds below, including a newly paved makeover of the Rose Garden.

Reporters, tipped off by the out-of-the-ordinary positioning of snipers above the Oval Office, shouted questions from below. One called out: “Sir, why are you on the roof?”

“Taking a little walk,” Trump shouted back. “It’s good for your health.”

Trump walked with a small group that included James McCrery, architect of a newly announced £150million White House ballroom project. They moved slowly, with Trump frequently gesturing and pointing at the roof and grounds. Several times, he wandered toward the corner nearest the press corps, waving and cupping his hands to shout responses to shouted questions.

At one point, he said he was looking at “another way to spend my money for this country.” The unexpected walk on the rooftop comes as Trump looks to leave a lasting footprint on what’s often referred to as “The People’s House.”