Yes, though it goes further than that even if you ignore the politics.

Linus is undoubtedly talking about when an LLM is used in a very specific way in his imagination where it's helping a competent programmer spot some things they might have missed, but the programmer is still diligent and professional and genuinely does take responsibility for ensuring the quality of their commits. Where the delusion comes in is grossly overestimating how many people are actually like that outside of his inner circle of world-level experts. What's happening in all the other open-source projects is a flood of low quality garbage PRs from meat proxies.

It may be that Linus Torvalds has the political literacy of a doorstop.

I am familiar with their actual history, but the colloquialism has taken on its own life just as the term "nimrod" no longer describes the famous hunter of that name but rather a bumbling buffoon.

As regards the politics of it, we can split these hairs all day. Where do we draw the line between a tool and a weapon? Which tools are acceptable to use and in what ways?

That AI is being used as a political bludgeon is not the fault of AI any more than gunshot wounds are the direct fault of the gun; they are tools being used for particular aims. I consider both equally dangerous in the right (wrong) hands, but by that same token a gun can be used to feed a family when used for hunting just as AI has provided monetary benefits to regular working people.

A tool cannot in and of itself be political. Its use and application absolutely can.

ETA: Upon re-reading I see that my "nimrod" comparison can read as an insult. I meant it more in how Bugs Bunny altered the colloquial meaning. I was not trying to be disparaging in any way and apologize if I offended.