Trump Says He Will Protect Musk If Democrats Target Him, With Preemptive Pardons If Needed
Washington — President Donald Trump said in an interview on the New York Post's "Pod Force One" podcast, released on Monday, November 2, that he will protect billionaire Elon Musk if Democrats investigate him after the midterm elections, and that he could issue preemptive pardons to Musk and to staff around him if necessary.
Host Miranda Devine asked about rumors that House Democrats might investigate Musk, or even arrest him and seize his assets, if they win power. "It's talk. But if it is talk, we'll have to protect them," Trump said. Asked whether that could mean preemptive pardons, he said: "I would if I needed to, sure. I wouldn't even think about it. I did it for J6." He added, of former President Joe Biden: "That's what Biden did. He gave everybody a pardon."
The remarks came one day before the November 3 midterm elections. Polls favor Democrats to retake the House of Representatives, which would give them control of House committees and their investigative powers. Possible lines of inquiry include Musk's cost-cutting work leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), his companies' federal contracts, and the dispute over Starlink access in Ukraine.
Musk is a close Trump ally. According to The New York Times, he has spent about $474 million in this election cycle supporting Republicans and opposing Democrats. In an earlier Fox Business interview on October 24, Trump also said Musk had "done nothing wrong" and that Musk would have to be protected if SpaceX were put at risk by Democrats.
Trump said the same protection would extend to others who have worked for him. The White House referred reporters' questions to his podcast comments, and SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: New York Post
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：2025年3月11日，特朗普总统在白宫南草坪与特斯拉首席执行官马斯克一同向媒体讲话（资料图）。白宫官方照片（Molly Riley 摄），公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025 (file photo). Official White House photo by Molly Riley, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
