Defund Elon Musk | Robert Reich
No private individual should have the power to determine US foreign policy, as Musk has attempted to do in Ukraine He’s Exhibit A on why billionaire wealth should be taxed, why we must get big money out of politics, why billionaires shouldn’t be allowed to buy up major media, and why our government shouldn’t give them huge military contracts. I’m talking about Elon Musk, of course. Continue…
Elon Musk has come under fire for allegedly slowing down service to Ukrainian forces in their conflict with Russia. This action has been criticized as an overreach of private individual power to determine US foreign policy. Critics argue that billionaire wealth should be taxed, big money should be removed from politics, and billionaires should not be allowed to own major media or receive large military contracts.
The slowdown of Starlink, a satellite-based network, has reportedly hindered Ukrainian offensive and interceptor drones. Musk's decision to slow the service was reportedly in response to Ukraine using the network for offensive drone strikes against Russian targets. This move has sparked panic in Ukraine and confusion within the Trump administration.
Musk has admitted to pulling the plug on Starlink due to violations of its terms of service, specifically for Ukraine using it for offensive strikes. Both Musk and former President Trump have expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries, which Trump blames for high energy prices. Musk has donated over $445 million to the 2026 midterm election cycle, making him the largest single known donor in the election.
He has also given significant amounts of money to Texas Super PACs supporting Republican Ken Paxton, despite Paxton's history of ethical lapses and legal controversies. Musk's businesses are headquartered in Texas, and he has pushed false stories on his social media platform, X, about political opponents. Defunding Musk and his influence appears to be a long-term goal, with potential solutions including nationalizing his satellite system, ending government contracts with him, busting up his monopolies, and imposing a wealth tax on him.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
