1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

America doesn’t want this. SpaceX debilitated Ukraine’s military defenses on October 14. In the midst of one of the heaviest Russian bombardments of the war. Elon Musk, who owns SpaceX, and Donald Trump, who controls Starshield, each blamed the other for the shitshow. A bipartisan group of nine senators is demanding answers from the DoD. They note the slowdown meant that “U.S. diplomatic, military, and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids.” They ask “[w]hether any Department of Defense or other U.S. government officials directed, authorized, approved, or had advance knowledge of changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities, or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine.” They ask if the slowdown was a policy decision or a contractor action, and whether “any restrictions on Starlink or Starshield services were directed, authorized, or implemented by SpaceX, the Department of Defense, or other U.S. government entities.” Trump told reporters that neither he nor Musk had caused the shortage. “I didn’t do that. No, we didn’t do that at all. In fact, I don’t even think it was slowed down, from what I understood. Because I just checked this morning.” “I heard about it from the news, the media. And we didn’t slow it down at all. And I think it’s probably functioning, from what I understand.” When asked if Musk had had anything to do with the slowdown, Trump said: “I don’t know if it was anybody, because it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon, and from what I understand, it’s the same as it’s always been.” The guy who knows everything about anything all of a sudden knows nothing about nothing. According to sources familiar with discussions over the issue, it was Musk who approached Trump with the idea of slowing down the Starlink systems in Ukraine. And Trump agreed. The ensuing outcry made Musk worry that European customers might turn against him. True, as it turned out. So the backtracking began…Musk tweeted out that he was innocent. That it was the US administration that did it. The reality is that they were both in it. Our president has clearly decided his own personal interests require bringing the US to the rescue of Vladimir Putin. Trump waived sanctions to allow Russia to sell diesel on the global market. Funneling money to Putin to continue his war on Ukraine. Late Friday night, Trump waived yet more sanctions. Due to go into effect under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act recently passed by the GOP Congress. The president wrote that waiving those sanctions is “in the national interests of the United States.” He did not specify why. National security. National interests. These are not blanket get-out-of-jail-free cards to be played whenever he wants to do something. And then profess ignorance of it all. Happy No Kings Day America. Remember…anger is a gift.