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Trump said he called Musk for help for Helene – FEMA was already working on it

Trump said he called Musk for help for Helene – FEMA was already working on it

Vaseline 1 month ago

  • Trump said he called Elon Musk to discuss sending Starlink satellites to areas affected by Helene.
  • FEMA had already worked with Starlink to send satellites to North Carolina.
  • The timing and nature of Trump’s call with Musk remains unclear.

Former President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and a recent political ally, about sending Starlink satellites to areas hit by Hurricane Helene.

But the federal government had already decided on Sunday to send the satellites there areas where internet access is needed.

At an event in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump said some North Carolina residents “have no communication” before mentioning his chat with Musk and Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service.

“I just talked to Elon. I’m getting a hold of him – we want to get Starlink on the phone because they have no communications whatsoever. And Elon will always get through it. We know that,” Trump said on Monday. “And so we’re working to connect them together. They asked me whether or not that would be possible. We’re going to try to get the Starlink there as quickly as possible.’

However, the White House was quick to point out that a Starlink partnership was already underway.

In a post on Musk-owned X, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said: “This is already happening.”

He linked to a statement from FEMA, which said 40 Starlink satellite systems are being deployed in North Carolina to assist with “responder communications.” According to the statement, 140 satellites are being sent to help repair communications infrastructure. The statement was released on Monday, the same day Trump gave his speech.

FEMA told Business Insider that the federal government made the decision Sunday to send satellites.

“Administrator Criswell made the decision yesterday to send Starlink to North Carolina,” public affairs director Jaclyn Rothenberg said on the phone, referring to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

Rothenberg told BI that Trump was not involved in the decision-making process.

As of Monday afternoon, the nature and timing of Trump’s call with Musk remained unclear. When BI asked the former president’s campaign for clarification, spokesperson Steven Cheung responded: “Where is Kamala?

SpaceX and a representative for Elon Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

At least 119 people have died as a result of the storm. Relief efforts continue as survivors begin to accept the extent of the devastation.