ISTANBUL

A Justice Department official appointed by US Donald Trump has launched inquiries into alleged “threats against public officials” in public statements by two Democratic lawmakers, local media reported.

The public comments from Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Robert Garcia could threaten Supreme Court justices as well as staff at the Trump administration's unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, according to a memo obtained by CBS News.

A memo by Ed Martin, the Trump-appointed acting US attorney for Washington, DC, said: "One of the most abhorrent examples was when Senator Charles Schumer led a rally to attack US Supreme Court justices. Schumer said, reading from notes in his hand: 'I want to tell you, (Justice Neil) Gorsuch, I want to tell you (Justice Brett) Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.'"

Schumer made the controversial statement in March 2020 during an abortion rights rally, but in a Feb. 6 letter to Martin, Schumer's aide said the Senator’s comments were “not a threat to physically harm anyone.”

Garcia was also accused by Martin of threatening Elon Musk, the billionaire heading the government efficiency team, during a CNN interview earlier this month.

"What I think is really important and what the American public want is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy, for the future of this country. And it's important to push back on the chairperson of this committee," said Garcia. “Bringing weapons to a fight” is a variation of a common English idiom for being properly prepared for a confrontation, including verbal ones.

Martin said the remark “sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk, an appointed representative of President Donald Trump.”

Garcia told CBS News: "No reasonable person would view my comments as a threat. We are living in a dangerous time, and elected members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump administration. We will not be silenced."

He added on X: “So if you criticize Elon Musk, Trump’s DOJ (Department of Justice) will send you this letter. Members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration. I will not be silenced.”

In his successful run for president last year, Trump frequently vowed to use the tools of government to go after his perceived enemies.

Musk has come under fire for trying to eliminate entire government agencies, firing thousands of workers without any oversight, as well as for accessing confidential government information without any security clearance or safeguards.