Bondi Continues Using DOJ As Musk Retribution Weapon In Warning To Dem Who Protested Tesla

Attorney General Pam Bondi sent Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) a warning on Sunday after Crockett participated in a non-violent conference call discussing protesting Elon Musk and his recent slashing of the federal workforce and federal spending through his Department of Government Efficiency rampage.

Bondi’s warning, which included a directive for Crockett to “tread very carefully” amid her criticism of Musk, is yet another example of Donald Trump’s Department of Justice functioning as an extension of the White House — protecting Musk’s business interests and going after Trump perceived political enemies who dare to criticize the administration.

Last week, Crockett participated in a “#TeslaTakedown Mass Mobilizing” call, saying during that call that she wanted to see “Elon taken down.” The group, self described as a “peaceful protest,” is dedicated to protesting Musk by rallying outside of Tesla dealerships throughout the country. The group is currently planning a “global day of action” which is supposed to include 500 nonviolent protests. 

Crockett, who sits on the House DOGE Oversight Committee, said during that call that she has learned that “there is only one language that the people that are in charge understand right now, and that language is money.” She also said the group was fighting for democracy, for freedom, and for the country as a whole. 

But she explicitly clarified that when using the term “fighting,” she is using the term “figuratively,” emphasizing that “obviously everything that I am promoting is nonviolent.”

But in response to Crockett’s remarks, Bondi, during a Fox appearance on Sunday, said that Crockett needed to “tread very carefully because nothing will happen to Elon Musk, and we are going fight to protect all of the Tesla owners throughout this country,” adding too that “domestic terrorism” would “come to a stop in this country.” Bondi made it clear late last week the DOJ would throw the book at anyone vandalizing Teslas, as it works to protect Musk’s business interests. Bondi announced three people are currently facing federal charges in Tesla arson attacks.

But Crockett quickly fired back at Bondi’s Sunday remarks, clarifying during an interview on MSNBC that the #TeslaTakedown protests are “nonviolent protests” and because Bondi is trying to “twist our words” she told participants who were on her call last week to “adhere to the laws” and to carry out peaceful protests. 

“What we see is they want to dull our free speech rights,” she said. “Just in case the slow people listening decide to clip this up later, I just want to say that I have never promoted violence whatsoever, and yet have never made excuses for those violent actors, such as the ones on January 6.”

This isn’t the first time the DOJ have sent warnings to those who have criticized the Trump administration.

Earlier this year, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin sent letters to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) for what Martin described as “threats” to public officials. 

The letters are part of a larger initiative referred to as “Operation Whirlwind,” supposedly dedicated to prosecuting threats against public officials. Thus far, it’s only been used to intimidate Democratic elected members of Congress for speaking out against Trump or the Supreme Court.

Martin has since had to drop his bid to investigate Schumer, one of the country’s most powerful Democratic elected officials, due to the federal statute of limitations running out on Schumer’s five-year-old remarks. The letter to Garcia focuses specifically on remarks Garcia made about Musk during a CNN appearance, in which he said: “What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.”

Martin wrote in his letter that Garcia’s comment “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.” Garcia has repeatedly said he was speaking figuratively.