A United States prosecutor tasked with investigating threats against federal employees is demanding clarification from Long Beach Congressman Robert Garcia following comments he made on national television about the need to fight back against Elon Musk.
In a Feb. 17 letter of inquiry, interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, tapped by President Donald Trump last month to lead his Washington office, asked that Garcia “clarify” televised remarks made on CNN on Feb. 12.
During the interview, Garcia said that “what the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight,” he said. “This is an actual fight for democracy.”
Garcia later explained the remark was a figure of speech, coming moments after a hearing where Garcia insulted Musk (by showing a picture of him and calling it a “d*** pic”) and forcefully criticized his attempts to gut independent federal agencies.
“No reasonable person would view my comments as a threat,” Garcia wrote. The congressman also faces a potential censure by House Republicans over the comments.
In his letter, Martin said, “We take threats against public officials very seriously.”
“This sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk — an appointed representative of President Donald Trump who you call a ‘d***’ — and government staff who work for him,” Martin wrote. “Their concerns have led to this inquiry.”
Martin then asked for an official response from the congressman by Feb. 24.
The letter sent to Garcia coincides with Martin’s launch of “Operation Whirlwind,” which investigates potential threats to federal workers including Musk, according to documents published by the Washington Post.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) was also sent a letter, which announced a probe into comments he made during a 2020 abortion rights rally against Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. “You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price,” Schumer said. He has since walked back the remarks.
Before his most recent post, Martin built a controversial career. The longtime lawyer has a record of defending GOP interests, from being an outward opponent of abortion laws, an organizer for the “Stop the Steal” movement and a lawyer representing some defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“Free speech has limits and threatening government workers crosses the line,” Martin wrote, according to the Washington Post. “We will stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels.”
The Washington Post first reported on the letter to Garcia, who later shared it on X, along with a statement denouncing the inquiry and saying it is the right of Congress “to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration.”
“We will not be silenced,” Garcia wrote.