Rep. Robert Garcia has run afoul of Elon Musk and, by extension, the Department of Justice.
The Democratic congressman shared a letter from interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin that revealed he's the target of an “inquiry” thanks to his disparaging comments about the billionaire.
Garcia shared a letter from Martin to social media, in which DOJ official recalled the congressman calling Musk a "d*ck" and questioned whether a suggestion that Democrats need to “fight for democracy” could be construed as a threat.
“So if you criticize Elon Musk, Trump’s DOJ will send you this letter,” Garcia wrote in a post to Bluesky. “Members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration. I will not be silenced.”
So if you criticize Elon Musk, Trump’s DOJ will send you this letter. Members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration. I will not be silenced.
— Robert Garcia (@robertgarcia.bsky.social) February 20, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The comments that prompted the letter came during an interview with CNN. Attempting to construe the uncivilized and norms-busting battle that Democrats found themselves in, Garcia likened the politics of Trump's second term to a "bar fight." Worrying that Democrats might go along to get along, he called for the party to bust out their "actual weapons."
"I respectfully request that you clarify your comments,” Martin wrote in a letter dated Monday. "This sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk… We take threats against public officials very seriously."
Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also received a letter probing comments he made in mid-2020 suggesting that right-wing Supreme Court justices “won’t know what hit” them if they struck down settled precedent.
Earlier this month, Martin sparked concern with a letter to Musk promising to “pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people.” In the letter posted to X, Martin also told Musk to refer “any questionable conduct or details that you find or notice” to his office. Martin also suggested in a post to X last weekend that former Special Counsel Jack Smith could face legal pressure from his office in the future.
Other top Democrats have faced threats of prosecution from the Trump administration, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who border czar Tom Homan suggested could face legal action for instructing undocumented constituents on their rights.
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