Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Fellow Democrats Call for Senate Probe of Elon Musk Over Starlink Decision
AllSides Summary
A trio of Democratic senators, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have called for an inquiry into Elon Musk over his decision to not activate Starlink internet services over Crimea per the request of Ukraine ahead of a planned attack on Russian forces.
The Details: The senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, voicing concerns that Musk may have too greatly affected U.S. Foreign Policy and security interests, asking the secretary to fully investigate Musk’s decision.
For Context: Starlink is a satellite internet provider owned by Musk that has supported Ukraine’s defensive efforts. Musk’s decision was revealed in his new biography, however, after media backlash, the author Walter Isaacson claimed he misunderstood Musk’s original telling of events, and issued a correction to the text. Musk said he did not engage Starlink over Crimea in order to comply with U.S. sanctions of Russia, and would have done so if directed by President Biden.
Key Quotes: “The committee is aggressively probing this issue from every angle,” said Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed, “Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to U.S. national security.”
How the Media Covered It: The call for a probe was widely covered by sources from the left and center. As of Saturday morning Newsmax (Right bias) and The Epoch Times (Lean Right bias) were the only sources on the right AllSides found coverage from.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Musk’s Denial of Ukraine’s Starlink Request Prompts Senate Probe
The Senate Armed Services Committee is probing national-security issues raised by Elon Musk’s decision not to extend the private Starlink satellite network to aid a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships near the Crimean coast.
Chairman Jack Reed said in a statement Thursday the reports on the use of Starlink exposed “serious national-security liability issues and the committee is engaged on this issue.”
“The committee is aggressively probing this issue from every angle,” he said.
Musk’s SpaceX also has become a major US contractor, launching spy satellites for the Defense Department...
From the Center
Democrats question Pentagon on Musk disabling internet for Ukraine military
A trio of Democratic senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday over concerns that tech billionaire Elon Musk may have personally impacted the war in Ukraine and by extension, U.S. foreign policy.
Musk confirmed earlier this month that he refused access to his Starlink satellite internet service to the Ukrainian military when they wanted to use it for an offensive operation in Crimea last year.
“These allegations… raise serious concerns about whether Mr. Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key U.S. partner at a critical juncture — and if...
From the Right
Sen. Warren Urges Senate Probe of Musk's Foreign Policy Role
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has called for a Senate inquiry into the alleged involvement of tech magnate Elon Musk in obstructing a Ukrainian drone's attempt to target Russia's naval fleet in the Black Sea last year.
"We need to investigate how this happened. What's in those contracts that permits him to have this kind of power?" Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and its subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities, told reporters during a Capitol Hill forum dedicated to discussions about artificial intelligence.
Musk, the founder and...
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