Billionaire Elon Musk, who has taken an active role in Republican politics during the presidential campaign and since Donald Trump's victory, defended the nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general, lashing out at his critics and dismissing the House Ethics Committee against him, which has been described as "highly damaging."
"Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind. He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison. Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice," Musk said in a post on his social media platform, X.
Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2024
He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison.
Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice.
He went on to address the allegations against him, saying he deems them "worth less than nothing." "Under our laws, a man is considered innocent until proven guilty. If AG Garland (an unprincipled D-bag) could have secured a conviction against Gaetz, he would have, but he knew he could not. Case closed," Musk added.
The show of support comes as Trump is reportedly pressuring senators directly to confirm Gaetz's nomination. The identities of the targeted senators has not been disclosed, but the reporting illustrates his intent to have the former lawmaker be appointed despite the scandal, where he has been accused of having sex with a minor and paying two other women for sex in 2017.
The House Ethics Committee is under pressure to release its report on Gaetz, which revolved around sexual misconduct involving a minor, illicit drug use, and accepting improper gifts. However, the committee's jurisdiction ended when Gaetz stepped down from Congress last Thursday after being nominated by Trump.
Despite this, Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the committee, said the report should be made public, citing past precedents. "It absolutely should be released to the public," Wild told reporters Monday. "And it should certainly be released to the Senate as well."
Wild's remarks were echoed by Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., another member of the Ethics Committee. The panel is set to discuss the report at a meeting on Wednesday. Aspects of the "highly damaging" investigation have surfaced, however. One involved an allegation by a woman that Gaetz had sex with her when she was a minor. Another one that he paid two women for sex in 2017.
Trump's nomination of Gaetz has created internal rifts within the GOP. Several Republican senators, who will review Gaetz's nomination next year, have also called for access to the report or details from an FBI background check. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said on NBC's Meet the Press that the report is essential for the Senate's decision-making process. "I believe the Senate should have access to that now," Mullin said. "That should definitely be part of our decision-making."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has strongly opposed releasing the report, arguing the committee's jurisdiction does not extend to former members. "I do not. No, I think it's a terrible breach of protocol," Johnson added, saying "that is not the way we do things in the House, and I think that would be a terrible precedent." However, precedent exists for such disclosures. Reports on ethics violations were released after the resignations of Rep. Bill Boner in 1987 and Rep. Buz Lukens in 1990.
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