As Donald Trump is impeached, the influential billionaire urges Democrats to be impartial when it comes to the justice system.
Many expected Elon Musk to react with outrage at Donald Trump’s accusation, even adding his voice to that of the former president’s millions of supporters.
Those supporters view the charges as a political attack by Democrats, intended to undermine the leading Republican presidential candidate.
But to everyone’s surprise, Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA) – Get a free reportand the richest man in the US, who has voted Republican since last year, remained restrained.
Other than a few words of humor in response to comments from Twitter users, the billionaire has said little about the legal setbacks for Trump, who on April 4 became the first US president to be impeached in court.
In the days leading up to the indictment, Musk had made his strongest statement on the matter. He had warned in mid-March that an impeachment against Trump would have huge political consequences for the White House race.
Musk hoped Trump would win if he was impeached
“If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory,” the billionaire predicted on March 18, after the former president said that day that he expected to be arrested on March 21.
Musk prefers Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2024. But the billionaire also believes that in a divided America, judicially attacking Trump helps reinforce these deep divisions.
Musk first voted Republican during the midterms and has become a conservative icon ever since he decided to make Twitter a Republican stronghold. However, the tech mogul still describes himself as a moderate. (Musk bought Twitter in October.)
Trump was arraigned on April 4, 17 days after he said he would be arrested. On Tuesday, Manhattan prosecutors charged the former president with orchestrating a secret money scheme to help pave his way to the presidency and then covering it up while he was in the White House.
He was charged with 34 felonies and appeared in a Manhattan court. Trump, who becomes the first former president in US history to be impeached, has pleaded not guilty in the case.
Musk did not make any abrasive comments about the events. He chose wisdom over provocation or invective, unlike many Republicans on Twitter, who view the former president’s arrest as a political attack.
‘Avoid losing the trust of the American public’: Musk
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) posted a message about the impeachment.
“I believe Donald Trump will get a fair trial that will follow the facts and the law,” the Senate Majority Leader tweeted on April 4. “There is no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial progresses, protest is an American right, but all protests must be peaceful.”
Musk chose to respond by sending a warning to Democrats.
“To avoid losing the trust of the American public, it is important that our justice system pursue Democrats and Republicans with equal vigor,” the tech mogul said. “Whichever party puts justice before nepotism is the one that deserves trust.”
Musk suggests that Democrats, who today argue that the charges against the former president reflect only the smooth running of the justice system, should take a similar stance when it comes to their own. He suggests that prosecutors like Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should prosecute Democrats just as vigorously to uphold the law.
Musk’s comment appears to be advice to his former fellow politicians not to get carried away by any political agenda. For Musk, until Democrats put the same effort into prosecuting crimes on their own, they can’t really talk about a fair justice system.
