Tech billionaire Elon Musk publicly backed President-elect Trump’s pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), and pushed back against concerns over allegations of misconduct against him.
Musk, in a statement early Tuesday on social platform X, noted that Gaetz has “an axe to grind,” which he said was necessary for the job.
“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 wrote. “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 added.
Trump last week announced a series of nominations, including Gaetz for the top law enforcement post in the country. The announcement surprised even many Senate Republicans, some of whom have expressed concern about the pick.
The Ethics panel has for years been investigating Gaetz, exploring whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other allegations. He has vigorously denied allegations of wrongdoing, and the Justice Department, which previously investigated whether he had sex with a 17-year-old, declined to charge him with a crime.
Musk, on Tuesday, described the matter as “case closed.”
“As for these accusations against him, I consider them worth less than nothing,” said Musk, who, himself, was tapped by Trump to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Under our laws, a man is considered innocent until proven guilty,” he continued. “If AG Garland (an unprincipled douchebag) could have secured a conviction against Gaetz, he would have, but he knew he could not. Case closed.”
With Gaetz’s resignation from the lower chamber, the Ethics panel no longer has jurisdiction but could still vote to release the report.
Many lawmakers have called for the report to be released as part of the vetting process for Gaetz’s nomination.
