Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, shot down criticism by Elon Musk on the federal government’s dealing with of Hurricane Helene reduction efforts, accusing the SpaceX CEO of spreading misinformation.
Musk accused the Federal Emergency Administration Company (Fema) of blocking his satellite tv for pc web firm, Starlink, from delivering to elements of North Carolina decimated by the hurricane, a declare each Fema and Buttigieg stated was false.
“Nobody is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block authentic rescue and restoration flights. When you’re encountering an issue give me a name,” Buttigieg wrote. Musk replied that he had seen lots of of such experiences and would telephone.
SpaceX engineers try to ship Starlink terminals & provides to devastated areas in North Carolina proper now and @FEMA is each failing to assist AND gained’t let others assist. That is unconscionable!!
They only took this video a number of hours in the past, the place you possibly can see the extent of… pic.twitter.com/abpOsfNenF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2024
Musk had spent a number of hours on Friday raging on X towards Fema over what he known as “belligerent authorities incompetence”. Posting texts allegedly acquired from “a SpaceX engineer on the bottom”, he accused the federal company of blockading the catastrophe space and stopping non-public helicopters from delivering Starlink terminals, which hook up with satellite tv for pc web service, and different provides.
Musk wrote, “SpaceX engineers try to ship Starlink terminals & provides to devastated areas in North Carolina proper now and @FEMA is each failing to assist AND gained’t let others assist. That is unconscionable!!”
When reached for touch upon Musk’s allegations, Fema issued a press release much like Buttigieg’s: “The claims about FEMA confiscating or taking commodities, provides or assets in North Carolina, Tennessee, or any state impacted by Helene are false.
“FEMA has helped present Starlink terminals to the state of North Carolina, together with to the Jap Band of Cherokee Nation and significant lifeline places as decided by the state. These items are supporting state and native municipalities, City Search and Rescue and catastrophe coordination. Starlink items have been despatched to a number of states in help of Hurricane Helene response efforts,” stated Jaclyn Rothenberg, Fema director of public affairs.
Nonetheless, Donald Trump amplified Musk’s claims on his app Reality Social. Musk stated he would be part of the previous president at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
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False data has swirled within the communications blackout that has adopted Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Cellphone and energy traces have been down throughout the south. Trump falsely accused Joe Biden of failing to name Georgia’s governor after the storm, when Biden had phoned Brian Kemp.
Musk has a historical past of inserting himself into rescue operations. In 2018, he supplied to ship a small submersible to Thailand to help with the rescue of a boys’ soccer workforce, which divers on the scene known as a “PR stunt”. In response, Musk known as the pinnacle rescuer a “pedo man”, eliciting a defamation go well with that Musk later gained.
