Kara Swisher predicts Democrats will try to jail Elon Musk

Another day, another series of warnings from Democratic and liberal media figures that they are going to try to put their political opponents in jail if they take back control of government.

You heard this from Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin earlier this week — remember when she said she hoped all those forthcoming prosecutions of administration officials would scare away young Republicans and prevent them from getting involved in politics?

Well this time, it’s liberal commentator Kara Swisher, who says that Elon Musk better watch out. If Kamala Harris was president, he might be in jail — and if Democrats take back control of Congress, they will find a reason to get him.

Let’s watch her on “The Bulwark” podcast.

Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think it’s a good thing that everybody has to be completely invested in national politics in order to save their own skins, because losing means prison. This is America, and losing should mean, well, losing. Your guys are out, you wish the other team the best of luck, and you wait for your turn to get back into power. We are verging on having a system in which the losers face legal repercussions, and very serious ones, which means there is even more of an incentive to not lose. If the risks are existential, you’re gonna fight harder, or even dirty.

By the way, this is a common fate for political figures in other countries: Win or face prosecution. These are features of banana republics. It’s not what we want for our country.

Unfortunately, the Dems are giving every indication that they are going to prosecute their political enemies. The crime is TBD: They’ll figure it out later, but they’ll find something. Then they turn around and complain when the Trump administration investigates Ilhan Omar’s immigration status. But they’re perfectly OK predetermining that Musk should face jail time? Musk, the world’s most important tech founder, who builds rockets and flying cars, whose systems provide internet to Ukraine and defensive capabilities for their forces there, who is indispensable to the fate of the free world? Kamala Harris should have looked for a reason to jail him?

No wonders he’s become such a full-throated defender of Donald Trump. He has no choice.

This just isn’t how it’s supposed to be, and so I wish that the Democrats were capable of elevating more temperamentally moderate voices, of emphasizing that their concern is justice, not vengeance, and that they will ultimately put the country first, not the narrow interests of their party.

Can they do that? Can they say that? Or are they really going to try to jail all their enemies, come hell or high water? Frightening, and anti-American.

Robby Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his daily commentary.