EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Garcia Criticized Elon Musk — Then The DOJ Threatened Him

Summary

Bulwark Takes: EXCLUSIVE - Rep. Garcia Criticized Elon Musk — Then The DOJ Threatened Him

Release Date: February 21, 2025
Host: Tim Miller
Guest: Congressman Robert Garcia
Duration Highlighted: [00:24] - [13:12]

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Introduction

In this exclusive episode of Bulwark Takes, host Tim Miller engages in a compelling discussion with Congressman Robert Garcia, a Democrat representing the Long Beach area of Southern California. The conversation delves into the recent tensions between Garcia and the Department of Justice (DOJ) following his critical remarks about Elon Musk, the controversial CEO of Twitter and SpaceX. This episode underscores the broader implications of political maneuvering, free speech, and the ongoing battle over democratic integrity in the United States.

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DOJ's Threat Against Rep. Garcia

Tim Miller opens the discussion by addressing the recent controversy surrounding Congressman Garcia. He references a letter from Ed Martin, the acting U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., criticizing Garcia's remarks about Elon Musk made during a February 12 CNN interview.

Tim Miller [00:50]: "You were asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk. Congressman Garcia, you spoke clearly. What the American people wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight."

Rep. Robert Garcia responds by condemning the DOJ's actions as an attempt to intimidate and silence political opposition.

Robert Garcia [01:51]: "This is completely ridiculous. To essentially threaten me with possible prosecution... is both ridiculous but also quite dangerous."

Garcia elaborates on his belief that the Trump administration is weaponizing the DOJ to target critics, including those who oppose policies and actions related to Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Robert Garcia [02:45]: "Donald Trump is weaponizing the DOJ to go after anyone that will dare criticize the administration or what Elon Musk is actually doing."

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Weaponization of the Justice Department

The conversation intensifies as Tim Miller critiques the notion of depoliticizing the DOJ, citing recent actions and appointments that suggest the opposite.

Tim Miller [03:03]: "It's Orwellian the way that they have been like, we're gonna depoliticize the Justice Department."

He points out the appointment of Cash Patel and his alleged involvement in dismissing FBI officials probing Donald Trump, highlighting a pattern of political interference.

Tim Miller [03:49]: "They come to you guys. And I'm wondering what your posture should be on that."

Rep. Garcia agrees, emphasizing the chilling effect these actions have on free speech and democratic discourse.

Robert Garcia [03:49]: "We're not going to be silenced by that... We can't allow these intimidation tactics to push us back."

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Implications for Free Speech and Democratic Institutions

The duo explores the broader implications of the DOJ's threats, particularly the impact on ordinary citizens' willingness to speak out against governmental overreach.

Tim Miller [05:00]: "People think if I get this letter from the DOJ because of something that I posted... that could have real effects on my life."

Rep. Garcia underscores that the DOJ's message is a clear attempt to silence not just elected officials but also media members and regular citizens who oppose certain administrations or policies.

Robert Garcia [05:44]: "This should be very concerning. The Trump administration just started... and already the kind of weaponization things... we're just seeing that fall apart."

The discussion highlights the significance of protecting free speech rights as a cornerstone of American democracy, stressing that such government actions undermine constitutional protections.

Robert Garcia [08:05]: "The American people want us to fight this democracy. And I think... tone down language that's about fighting back is really crazy."

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Responding to Governmental Overreach

Tim Miller encourages Garcia to lean into First Amendment defenses, suggesting that addressing these threats head-on is crucial for maintaining democratic freedoms.

Tim Miller [06:45]: "It's important you don't back down... leaning in on the First Amendment side... this is crazy."

Rep. Garcia shares his intent to not remain silent and to collaborate with Democratic leadership to combat these intimidation tactics.

Robert Garcia [08:40]: "We're having some conversations about that. What we're not going to do is stay silent and... silence our police, our language."

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Budget Negotiations and Policy Stances

Shifting focus, Tim Miller brings up the imminent budget negotiations, questioning Garcia's stance on potential Republican proposals aimed at altering essential government programs.

Tim Miller [10:07]: "We've never had the votes to pass a budget or to keep the government open."

Rep. Garcia firmly states his opposition to Republican budget plans that threaten programs like Medicaid and emphasizes his refusal to support funding that would undermine services vital to vulnerable populations.

Robert Garcia [10:43]: "We shouldn't be providing votes to a Republican budget that is going to dramatically alter the very programs that people need to survive."

He also addresses the importance of unconditioned wildfire aid, rejecting any attempts to tie disaster relief to political concessions.

Robert Garcia [11:36]: "Disaster aid has never been conditioned, and it shouldn't be conditioned. And that's our position."

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Personal Insights and Closing Remarks

The conversation takes a lighter turn as Tim Miller and Rep. Garcia discuss personal interests, specifically relating to the popular show RuPaul's Drag Race. This segment humanizes the discussion, showcasing the human side of political figures.

Robert Garcia [12:10]: "Yeah, Lexi probably is my favorite."

The episode concludes with Tim Miller expressing support for Garcia, encouraging him to remain steadfast in the face of adversity.

Tim Miller [12:33]: "Don't let these fuckers get you down."

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Conclusion

This episode of Bulwark Takes provides a deep dive into the challenges faced by public officials like Rep. Robert Garcia amid perceived governmental overreach and attempts to stifle political dissent. Through incisive dialogue, the podcast highlights the delicate balance between political power and democratic freedoms, emphasizing the necessity for vigilance in protecting First Amendment rights and maintaining the integrity of democratic institutions.

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Notable Quotes:

• Rep. Garcia [01:51]: "Donald Trump is weaponizing the DOJ to go after anyone that will dare criticize the administration or what Elon Musk is actually doing."

• Tim Miller [03:03]: "It's Orwellian the way that they have been like, we're gonna depoliticize the Justice Department."

• Rep. Garcia [05:44]: "This should be very concerning. The Trump administration just started... and already the kind of weaponization things... we're just seeing that fall apart."

• Rep. Garcia [08:05]: "The American people want us to fight this democracy. And I think... tone down language that's about fighting back is really crazy."

• Rep. Garcia [10:43]: "We shouldn't be providing votes to a Republican budget that is going to dramatically alter the very programs that people need to survive."

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the key discussions surrounding Rep. Robert Garcia's confrontation with the DOJ, the implications for free speech, and broader political strategies affecting democracy.

Transcript

[Ryan]

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[Tim Miller]

Com. No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply. Hey everybody, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. I am here with Congressman Robert Garcia, Democrat representing the Long beach ish area of Southern California. And he's in the barrel at the moment. The Trump administration has their eyes on him. And more than that, and I want to get into that here. But hey, what's up? First, welcome to the bulwark. YouTube.

[Robert Garcia]

Yeah, happy to be here.

[Tim Miller]

Thanks. Appreciate you. All right, so here's what has happened that prompted this, you eagle. Ed Martin, people who are watchers of this would know already is the new, I guess temporary U.S. attorney hasn't been confirmed yet for the Washington D.C. he's a longtime hack I've seen around Republican circles. It was a ridiculous choice to be the U.S. attorney for D.C. is just me editorializing there and it's proven by the fact that he sent you this letter today. He said, I respectfully request that you clarify your comments from a February 12 CNN interview. You were asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk. Congressman Garcia, you spoke clearly. What the American people wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy. That sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk. Appoint a person who you called a dick. He goes on from there. So I guess the government wants to police your use of metaphor. And, and I'm wondering how you take that.

[Robert Garcia]

That's absolutely right. I mean, this is completely ridiculous. To essentially threaten me with possible prosecution Investigations through the U.S. department of justice because I used a metaphor to criticize Elon Musk is both ridiculous but also quite dangerous. And I, and I think that in this moment there is no question that Donald Trump is weaponizing the DOJ to, to go after anyone that will dare criticize the administration or what Elon Musk is actually doing. And this idea that then we somehow need to like police that language. You talked about the U.S. the acting U.S. attorney, someone that has supported defended January 6 insurrectionists, Donald Trump has pardoned people that attacked the Capitol, yet has concerns about someone using figures of speech or metaphors to criticize Elon Musk. That is very concerning, and we're not gonna be silenced by that. And certainly the message here for Democrats, I think, and for the House has to be that we've gotta push back even harder, and we can't allow these intimidation tactics to push us back.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah. And it's chilling, honestly. And, you know, they. It's Orwellian the way that they have been like, we're gonna depoliticize the Justice Department. And, you know, the first things that happen is Pam Bondi and the DOJ and Emil Beauvais, you know, cutting this deal with Eric Adams, which is very political. And then now the US Attorney targeting you. And all this has happened on the day that Cash Patel gets confirmed. And there are reports that he has been behind the firings of people within the FBI that were involved in the investigations into Donald Trump. I mean, like, this is the opposite of depolitization. And it seems like their top priority right at this point is going after foes and cutting political deals.

[Robert Garcia]

I think that's absolutely right. And I think what's. What's also really concerning is, you know, what we're hearing and you've talked about this and others, people right now at this moment want to see Democrats fight against everything you just talked about. Yeah, they want to see us engage. They want us to match the energy that's on the ground. They want us to make sure that we are fighting fire with fire. And yet, at the same time, they want to attack the doj, Trump, Elon Musk, they want to attack us and those of us that are out there speaking out and speaking out forcefully. And so it's also very concerning and will and could have a chilling effect on other folks that actually want to come out and criticize and oppose. And so I think what I've been telling folks, I've talked to a lot of folks, members of the House and others that have been very supportive. And I said, look, we can't allow this singling out of me. It's not really about me. Right. This is about silencing critics and critics in Congress, even though we're constitutionally protected with our speech to be able to oppose the Trump administration. We're liberally as Congress. I mean, our job is to be the loyal opposition, and in this case, unloyal opposition if we need to be, to the administration.

[Tim Miller]

I appreciate that. I appreciate you're talking about how you guys have Protection. And it's important you don't back down. Because to me, you know, I mean, just beyond their abuse of the Justice Department, which is very concerning, the other concerning thing is that other people look at this and say, ugh, it's just not worth it for me to speak out. Right? And like, that's how you get into kind of how soft authoritarians, like, shut down criticism. Right? Because people are like, you know, somebody that doesn't have the protections that you do, the staff, the access to donors and lawyers if needed. Right. Like, a regular person thinks if I get this letter from the DOJ because of something that I posted, you know, like, that that could have real effects on my life. And I think that they know that, you know, and that that is part of their strategy to silence people.

[Robert Garcia]

I think that's absolutely right. I mean, one is, it's clear that the message they were trying to send to me was a broader message to Democrats, right. And Democrats in the House, but also a very clear message through this action and others that they're willing to go after whoever they perceive as enemies or critics. And that is not just elected officials or members of Congress. That's going to be members of the media, that is going to be other folks that are out there protesting in the streets and trying to push back against what Elon Musk is trying to do in raiding the federal government so he and his billionaire friends can get tax cuts. So this should be very concerning. The Trump administration just started. It has not been going on for that long and already the kind of weaponization things, by the way, that Donald Trump, as you know, during the campaign said he wouldn't do. You know, he. Yeah, he's not going to go after his critics. And I think we're just seeing that fall apart. We cannot allow this to silence us, especially at this very moment when our institutions are being attacked so fiercely.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, well, to this point, about how they campaigned, like, this is obviously an absurd attack on your First Amendment rights. And so, like, at some level, it's almost like, should we even address that? But I think you have to, because there are people out there that, whether we agree or disagree with them, had legitimate concerns about their free speech rights. Maybe not about the First Amendment, about their free speech rights and what big tech companies were doing to silence them or deplatform them, etc. And you heard this on, like, other podcasts and other YouTube feeds, right? People who are like, I don't like these threats to my free speech about COVID or about whatever and A lot of these folks are not really particularly political, and they were attracted to Trump and Elon because they talked a lot about how people should have a right to say whatever they want, say offensive things, make jokes. And now they get in and they're making this direct threat onto people's speech because of a joke, because a figure of speech like that should, you know, if any of those guys are paying attention, like, they should wake up to this. Right? Like, this is crazy. I just think about the, you know, it's like, like using a football metaphor or something or saying, oh, he went nuclear on him. And like now it's like, oh, are you, you know what I mean? Like, like this is a crazy thing and a crazy assault on people's free speech rights, don't you think?

[Robert Garcia]

Of course. And I mean, you know, anyone that watched the interview or maybe have read the transcript, and I mean to clearly said the American people, you know, want us to bring weapons to this bar fight. I mean, that is literally a metaphor and which we've heard, you know, in many used many other ways. And then I went on to say, the American people want us to fight this democracy. And I think, you know, this idea that we're going to tone down language that's about fighting back is really crazy. But, you know, again, I think they've given me, by the way, till Tuesday to respond to this letter.

[Tim Miller]

What are you going to do?

[Robert Garcia]

You know, we're having some conversations about that. What we're not going to do is, is stay silent and, you know, and somehow shut us down and silence our police, our language. We're not going to do that. But we're talking to the appropriate folks and of course, talking to folks in the, in the Democratic leadership. And they understand, I think we all understand this is a broader issue about trying to silence members of Congress.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah. I mean, maybe the response just goes over other common figures of speech. You know, like in RuPaul's Drag Race, a death drop doesn't mean somebody's literally dying. It's like, what are you gonna do? It's like in the water, boy, when they were shouting kill him on the sidelines in the football game, they're not actually, you know, saying literally murder them. I mean, this is. You think that somebody that went to law school, like, Eagle Eyed Martin should be able to figure that out? Well, look, I appreciate your fighting for this. Keep us posted on this. And I think that leaning in on the First Amendment side of this is important, like on the free speech side of this as well. Because I do think it resonates not just with the Democratic base voters you're talking about earlier that want Democrats to fight, but with broader, just regular people do not want the government sending them letters if they say, if they say the wrong word, you know, like that is an un American activity.

[Robert Garcia]

That's exactly right. And I think we, you know, I think the lesson here is not to retreat, but the lesson here is to push harder and continue to let people know that they are literally trying to limit free speech. And that's exactly what's happening.

[Tim Miller]

Last thing we do is on another topic we do have. We're now, what, a little under a month until this budget fight is coming up. I talked to Moskowitz earlier this week about this, talk to Brendan Boyle about this. I'm wondering how you see that. Obviously the Republicans have asked Democrats to bail them out ever since McCarthy and then Johnson took the speakership. They've never had the votes to pass a budget or to keep the government open. And so now we're coming up on another moment where I assume we'll see that they wanted the votes again and they'll come to you guys. And I'm wondering what you think that your posture should be on that.

[Robert Garcia]

Well, I can, I can tell you they're certainly not getting my vote. And I, you know, I think that we shouldn't be providing votes to a Republican budget that is going to dramatically alter the very programs that people need to survive, whether particularly seniors and low income folks and working class folks. And so we'll see where this all ends as far as this budget negotiation process. But I'm in no interest to support a group of people that literally are working to destroy our democracy and fundamentally change how we interact with government services just so they can take all of that quote, unquote savings and then give it to themselves, their companies and their billionaire friends.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah. What if they decide they can't figure out the votes? And so they're saying, oh, we're going to kick this can another couple of months and we'll give you some wildfire relief money and, you know, a couple other things like what do you think about a deal like that?

[Robert Garcia]

I don't see how we can support a budget that is going to essentially destroy Medicaid or that is going to somehow damage the programs that people depend on to survive. I just don't see a situation in that wildfire. We've been, we've been very clear as it relates to the fires. It's never been. Disaster aid has never been Conditioned, and it shouldn't be conditioned. And that's our position.

[Tim Miller]

Congressman, anything else you got for me?

[Robert Garcia]

Not. You know, I'm not sure if you're watching the season of Drag Race, but.

[Tim Miller]

I'm a few weeks behind. Do you have a favorite?

[Robert Garcia]

Yeah, Lexi probably is probably my favorite. I mean, I think they're all great, but I'm a fan.

[Tim Miller]

All right, Lexi. All right, I'll take a closer look. If I'm going to be really candid, I've been watching, but I'm rage tweeting half the time that I'm watching. And so I need to put my phone down and really, really give the queens the focus they deserve. But so I appreciate.

[Robert Garcia]

Yeah, it's my only fun, you know, that I got to get just to relax a little bit. So just catch up on your.

[Tim Miller]

Deserve it. All right. Congressman Robert Garcia, please come back. Thanks for jumping on and, you know, don't let these fuckers get you down. All right?

[Robert Garcia]

Yep, thanks.

[Tim Miller]

All right, we'll be seeing you soon. Everybody else, subscribe to the feed. Thanks so much.

[Ryan]

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[Tim Miller]

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