Dr. Steve Caudle
A Chattanooga pastor in a sermon on Sunday appeared to sanction violence against Elon Musk, billionaire who was given access to federal funds accounts as part of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort.
Dr. Steve Caudle, who claimed the Trump appointee was "trying to take over the nation," said, "I'll say to you, beloved, no one likes violence, but sometimes violence is necessary. “When Elon Musk forces his way into the United States Treasury and threatens to steal your personal information and your Social Security check, there is the possibility of violence.”
He quoted Matthew 11:12: "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
Dr. Caudle, who is a member of the Chattanooga Planning Commission, said, "Sometimes the devil will act so ugly that you have no other choice but to fight.
"The kingdom of God is a war zone. It's a battlefield."
Elon Musk had an X (Twitter) comment relating to his critics, "They are afraid that their fraud will be discovered.”
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said he has asked for Dr. Caudle's immediate resignation from the Planning Commission.
He said, "Totally unacceptable for Rev. Caudle to use the pulpit to justify violence against the Trump Administration and @elonmusk. Hateful rhetoric has no place in Hamilton County, especially from a pastor."
Click here for video of Dr. Caudle's remarks.