Democrats have long operated with a sense of impunity. They can use the levers of power, including the criminal law, against their enemies, but it seems never to have occurred to them that the tables might be turned. Thus, Democrats are surprised that President Trump’s Department of Justice is taking threats of violence against federal officials seriously.
Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, while being interviewed on CNN, was asked what Democrats could do to stop Elon Musk, and answered, “What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to the bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.” That got the attention of the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia wrote Garcia a letter. It seeks clarification of Garcia’s endorsement of “actual weapons” being used against Musk:
At this time, I respectfully request that you clarify your comments from February 12, 2025. During a live interview with CNN, when asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk, you spoke clearly: “What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to the bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.”
This 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. Their concerns have led to this inquiry.
We take threats against public officials very seriously.
Here is U.S. Attorney Edward Martin’s letter, with Garcia’s tweeted response to his request for clarification:
Garcia’s reply is obtuse, presumably deliberately so. The issue is not “criticizing” Elon Musk. God knows there is plenty of that going on. The issue is threatening to use “actual weapons” against him, as in a “bar fight.”
Threatening violence against a federal official is a crime, but Democrats do it often. I am still waiting for an investigation of Chuck Schumer, who threatened violence against Supreme Court justices if they didn’t vote his way. And, sure enough, someone tried to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh. And, of course, two individuals, in all likelihood heeding the Democrats’ violent rhetoric against Donald Trump, which has gone on, now, for eight years, tried to kill him.
Assassination attempts are dangerous. Just ask House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who will never fully recover from being shot by a Bernie Sanders campaign worker. And yet, Democratic politicians like Chuck Schumer and Robert Garcia continue to incite their base to violence. I am not sure where this will end, but if the Democratic Party is unable to reform itself, it won’t end well.
