A Republican senator is suggesting that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk might use Starlink profits to influence US politics, like funding candidates aligned with his views.
“I’ve never seen Alaskans that are so worried, that are so panicked,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said at a Tuesday press conference.
She criticized President Trump’s ongoing efforts to cut federal agencies, including laying off probationary government employees in her home state, and pledged to continue speaking out despite potential blowback from the White House and Musk, a major Trump ally.
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“It may be that Elon Musk has decided he’s going to take the next billion dollars he makes off of Starlink and put it directly against Lisa Murkowski,” she said. “And you know what? That may happen. But I’m not giving up one minute, one opportunity, to try and stand up for Alaskans.”
According to The Hill, other GOP senators are “terrified” of Musk spending millions to fund political challengers if they defy Trump’s agenda. Musk gave $288 million to help Trump in the 2024 election and reportedly wants to give pro-Trump groups another $100 million.
Musk isn’t shy about the tactic. In response to a November tweet about Musk funding primary challengers for “any House Republican who does not fall in line with Trump’s agenda,” Musk responded: “How else? There is no other way [to drain the swamp].”
Murkowski is up for re-election in 2028. In 2022, Trump endorsed a primary challenger to Murkowski after the Alaska senator voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. Murkowski won the primary with 53% of the vote. In 2010, she also won as a write-in candidate following a challenge from a Tea Party candidate. So, she may be more well-positioned among Republicans to take on Trump and Musk than others.
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The Trump administration, meanwhile, is eyeing more federal subsidies for Starlink, including shifting billions from a US broadband program to the satellite internet system. The FAA also says it’s “been considering the use of Starlink since the prior administration to increase reliability at remote sites, including in Alaska.”
However, both Starlink and Tesla, Musk’s other major company, are facing boycotts. Tesla dealerships and vehicles have also been hit with a wave of vandalism over Musk’s and his DOGE team’s dismantling of federal agencies. The Trump administration has pledged to crack down on those damaging Teslas, with the president suggesting it’s akin to domestic terrorism.
Globally, Starlink recently reached over 5 million users. The satellite internet system is poised to grow even more as it prepares to launch in India.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
