Bipartisan lawmakers are calling for an investigation into Elon Musk after the Wall Street Journal reported that the SpaceX chief personally ordered restrictions on Ukraine’s access to the company’s Starlink satellite network.
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said Congress should call Musk and other witnesses to testify under oath. “We got to investigate,” he told CNN. “We got to call the witnesses, got to bring them in, put them under oath and get to the bottom of it because this is a very, very serious matter.” He added that if Musk ordered the slowdown, it is “likely a violation of the law”.
The Starlink Slowdown
The restrictions, imposed earlier this month, capped connection speeds for Starshield — the military-grade version of Starlink — at roughly 100 mph (160 km/h). The cap effectively paralyzed Ukrainian drone operations, including interceptors used to shoot down Russian Shahed attack drones.
Ukraine’s top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, sent a frantic message to US lawmakers when the restrictions first hit, warning the change would give Russia an upper hand and make it harder for Kyiv to intercept strikes against civilians.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk gave the order himself. Trump later said he had called Musk and asked him to lift the restrictions, though Ukrainian officials said the speed caps remained in place as of Friday morning.
The Bipartisan Backlash
Democrats joined Republicans in demanding accountability. Sen. Elizabeth Warren told CNN there is an “enormous risk” if Musk is “dictating our foreign policy” by deciding what tools Ukraine has on the battlefield.
Sen. Adam Schiff wrote on social media: “Either the President was lying or Musk was lying, but the decision to slow down satellite speed and access has life or death consequences for Ukraine. This deserves a full investigation by the Senate. Elon Musk should be compelled to testify before Congress and under oath”.
Sen. Ruben Gallego added: “@elonmusk you don’t have to wait for a subpoena, you can just come in on your own”.
Musk’s Defense
Musk initially claimed that only President Trump had the ability to order the slowdown, saying Starshield is “owned and controlled by the US government” and that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS”.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the White House had nothing to do with it, calling accusations that the administration ordered the slowdown “categorically false”.
Trump, for his part, denied involvement. “I wasn’t involved. I don’t know who did it, but I wasn’t involved,” he told reporters.
The Bottom Line
Bipartisan lawmakers are demanding that Elon Musk testify under oath after reports he personally ordered the Starlink slowdown that crippled Ukraine’s drone operations. Republicans and Democrats alike say the decision has life-or-death consequences and warrants a full congressional investigation. Musk denies responsibility, and the White House denies involvement. Ukraine says the restrictions remain in place.
My Opinion
A private citizen — not an elected official, not a military commander, not the president — reportedly made a decision that cost Ukrainian lives. Elon Musk slowed down the satellite network Ukraine uses to shoot down Russian drones. He did it, according to reports, because he was annoyed.
The lawmakers are right. This needs a full investigation. Musk should testify under oath. Not because he is a villain in a comic book, but because the American people need to know how a billionaire with billions in federal contracts can override the national security interests of an ally fighting for its survival. If he has that much power, we deserve to know how he uses it.
The White House denies involvement. Musk denies involvement. Trump denies involvement. Everyone denies everything. But someone ordered the slowdown. Someone made the call. And someone needs to explain why. Sen. Schiff is right. Either Trump was lying or Musk was lying. The public deserves to know which one
