Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed strong support Tuesday for Attorney General nominee and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, hailing him as the “hammer of justice” poised to take on President-elect Donald Trump’s opponents. Musk’s endorsement comes as sex trafficking allegations against the former Florida congressman loom over his confirmation process.
“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,” Musk posted on X. “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 added.
Musk also criticized Attorney General Merrick Garland as a “douchebag” while dismissing the allegations that Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old or paid women for sex during drug-fueled parties. These accusations prompted previous investigations by the Department of Justice and a House ethics panel.
“As for these accusations against him, I consider them worth less than nothing. Under our laws, a man is considered innocent until proven guilty,” Musk wrote.
He further claimed, “If AG Garland (an unprincipled douchebag) could have secured a conviction against Gaetz, he would have, but he knew he could not. Case closed.”
Musk, who has been staying at Mar-a-Lago alongside Trump since his re-election, is one of the few figures in Trump’s inner circle publicly commenting on Gaetz’s nomination and the ongoing political maneuvering in West Palm Beach.
According to The New York Times, Trump has expressed some private doubts about whether the Republican-controlled Senate will fully support Gaetz. Behind the scenes, the former president is reportedly calling allies to bolster Gaetz’s confirmation prospects. However, Trump remains publicly optimistic, signaling that even if Gaetz isn’t confirmed, his nomination could pave the way for other Cabinet picks to move forward.
Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives after Trump nominated him for attorney general, potentially leaving unresolved allegations from the House Ethics Committee. These include claims that Gaetz paid women for sex, including a 17-year-old girl, via Venmo. Attorney Joel Leppard, representing two women who testified to the ethics panel, stated that one woman claimed to have seen Gaetz in a sexual encounter with her underage friend in July 2017.
Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are demanding access to the ethics panel’s report on the allegations. The House committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday to decide whether to release its findings.
