With Putin’s Calls, It’s Clearer Than Ever That Elon Musk Is a National Security Threat
It’s been an unexpected few days for tech billionaire Elon Musk. On Wednesday, the Justice Department warned him that his $1 million gift to state voters may be illegal. Then on Thursday the Wall Street Journal broke the news that Musk had been in secret talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for years.
According to the Journal, Musk has been in talks with Putin since 2022. The journal based its reporting on interviews with US, European and Russian officials. It has been an open secret in powerful political circles for years.
What do the richest man in the world and a ruthless boss have to talk about? Little by little as it turns out. They discussed business, personal matters, and the state of the world. Musk is a major government contractor with security clearances and hands on a number of different companies.
SpaceX alone has billions in government contracts and some of them are so sensitive that their nature is classified, including one issued in 2021 for $1.8 billion. Musk’s Starlink has proven a formidable battlefield tool. Satellite Internet service has been instrumental in keeping communications open during the war in Ukraine.
Musk donated more than 1,000 Starlink terminals to Kyiv and the Pentagon has paid for hundreds more. But they don’t always work as they should. Last year, Ukrainian pilots complained that the signal to the drones over the Black Sea was cut off as they approached the Russian-controlled Crimea.
Starlink has repeatedly stated that its facilities are not intended to be weapons of war and should be reserved for civilian use. But the terminals continue to appear in Russia and, arriving there from other countries. And Moscow was using them for war. When Starlink grabs hard terminals, it disconnects them.
According to the Journal, Musk and Putin discussed Starlink during their secret talks. Putin asked Musk not to use Starlink terminals in Taiwan. He wanted a billionaire to do it according to the wishes of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Also, Musk has security clearance. He is a key military contractor that the Pentagon relies on to run the business of war. He is also a fool who associates himself with a foreign dictator and injects himself into local politics. The man is a danger to national security, full stop.
And while the Pentagon has investigated and reprimanded him for his public and rumored drug use, it has yet to release his security clearance. When Semafor asked NASA Administrator Bill Nelson about the story on Friday, Nelson said he deals mostly with people other than Musk and that SpaceX has been “incredibly successful.” “I don’t know if that story is true. I think it should be investigated.” Nelson added. “If it is true that there have been many conversations with Elon Musk and the president of Russia, that will be a concern, especially for NASA and the Department of Defense, for other intelligence agencies.
Asked about the WSJ report on Elon Musk’s talks with Putin, @SenBillNelson he tells @burgessev:
“[SpaceX] it was incredibly successful … I don’t know if that story is true. I think it should be investigated. If the story is true … that would be touching.” pic.twitter.com/5Mlo2AEDNx
– Semafor (@semafor) October 25, 2024
None of this matters if Donald Trump becomes the next president of the United States. And Musk is doing everything in his power to make that happen.
The billionaire has been spending money on the Trump campaign like it’s going out of style. He has never been neutral in politics, but he has also never been involved in this for an elected official. Through his America PAC and other donations, Musk has contributed an estimated $118.5 million to the campaign since the summer.
Musk is also offering $47 to registered state voters who are willing to sign a petition saying they support free speech and the second amendment. Signing the petition also enters people into a lottery for a chance to win $1 million. Musk has promised to offer a large cash prize to one petition signer every day until the election as he tries to make himself a political monster.
If that sounds strange and illegal, you’re not alone. Only petition signers in the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina are eligible for payday. And while the petition and its rules don’t specify who those voters should vote for, it’s hard to imagine that anyone signing doesn’t know who Musk might choose.
After Musk announced the sweepstakes, the Justice Department sent a warning letter to his America PAC. Justice told the PAC that the lottery may violate the electoral law. But Musk still hands out awards. Last night, just before 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, America PAC published a photo of Jason Holland of Michigan holding a large check for new items. Holland is happy in his photo above the link directing people to sign the petition.
