The Biden administration may have had its fair share of disputes with Elon Musk, but under Donald Trump’s leadership, the picture has taken a complete turn. Musk is now considered a key government figure. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a warning to Democratic Representative Robert Garcia after the lawmaker made controversial remarks about Musk last week.
In a fiery CNN interview, Garcia declared, “What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar. This is an actual fight for democracy.” DOJ officials have now requested Garcia clarify his words, as they could be interpreted as a threat toward Musk and government staff working for him.
Garcia’s troubles began earlier that day when he didn’t hesitate to mock Musk during a House Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing. The congressman held up a picture of the billionaire and described it as a “d–k pic” before going on to say in a CNN interview, “Well, he is one.”
His shocking statement went viral and drew criticism and applause alike. However, it also caught the attention of Trump’s DOJ, which wasted no time in issuing a formal letter from Edward R. Martin Jr., interim U.S. Attorney for D.C.
According to The Washington Post, Martin has placed himself as one of Musk’s strongest defenders within the administration. In an internal email, he announced the launch of “Operation Whirlwind”, a new DOJ initiative which targets prosecuting threats against government officials—including those working at DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk leads the same.
Martin justified the initiative and stated, “Free speech has limits, and threatening government workers crosses the line. We will stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels.” The DOJ’s swift action was reportedly triggered by a conversation between Martin and a top Musk aide, who alerted authorities about ongoing threats against Musk and his staff.
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. pic.twitter.com/Tgp70GmTv7
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) February 20, 2025
Elon Musk himself got involved on the matter at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). He revealed that he is very worried about his safety.
“My security detail should be bigger,” Musk admitted. “I don’t actually have a death wish.”
He also disclosed that even El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, reached out to express concern over his safety, as he mentioned, “Bukele put 100,000 violent criminals in prison, and even he called me, worried about my security.”
In a further sign of Musk’s grand status in the Trump administration, his security team has now been deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service. That gives them federal authority to carry weapons on government grounds.
After receiving the formal warning from the DOJ, Garcia took to social media to slam Trump’s administration. He wrote, “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.”
View this post on Instagram
This has sparked a heated debate over whether the DOJ’s actions are necessary for security or an attempt to silence political opposition.
Musk’s growing influence in Washington seems to justify the DOJ’s attempt to crack down on threats against him. But critics argue that this could set a dangerous precedent—where insulting a government appointee leads to federal intervention.
One thing seems very clear that the battle over Musk’s role in government is far from over.
