Representative Robert Garcia was hit with a stern warning from the Department of Justice Monday, following blistering comments he made about billionaire Elon Musk last week.
Posting a letter he received from interim D.C. United States Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. to X, the California Democrat declared: “So if you criticize Elon Musk, Trump’s DOJ will send you this letter. Members of Congress have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration. I will not be silenced.”
In the letter, Martin honed in on comments Garcia made during an interview on CNN last Wednesday where he said, “What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar. This is an actual fight for democracy.”
Martin requested that Garcia clarify what he meant by that comment as it “sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk—an appointed representative of President Donald Trump who you call a ‘dick’—and government staff who work for him.”
Earlier that Wednesday, Garcia also attacked Musk during the first House Delivering on Government Efficiency where he pulled up a picture of the billionaire and described it as a “d**k pic.”
When probed on why he decided to pull the stunt during the CNN interview, Garcia quipped “Well, he is a d**k.”
Martin has reportedly positioned himself as one of DOGE’s top protectors. In an email obtained by The Washington Post Wednesday, the prosecutor announced the launch of “Operation Whirlwind” to all DOJ staff, promising to prosecute and investigate threats made against public officials of all levels.
“Free speech has limits and threatening government workers crosses the line,” Martin wrote in the email. “We will stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels.”
The Post adds that Martin’s inspiration for the operation seems to have been borne out of a conversation he had with a senior Musk aide who told him about the threats DOGE staffers have been receiving.
Musk himself spoke about his security detail in an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday where he expressed concern over his life.
“My security detail should be bigger. I am open to ideas for improving security. I don’t actually have a death wish,” Musk said. “I’ve even had people like President [Nayib] Bukele from El Salvador who managed to put 100,000 murderous thugs in prison and even he called me being worried about my security.”
CNN reported Thursday that member’s of Musk’s security detail have been deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service, meaning they can carry weapons on federal grounds.
