Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg didn’t let Elon Musk’s claims fly under the radar on Friday as he took to the billionaire’s X platform to hit back at allegations that FEMA was putting the brakes on Starlink’s hurricane relief efforts.
Quashing Musk’s accusations about the agency blocking access to North Carolina, Buttigieg made a firm stand saying no one was pulling the plug on rescue operations. he quipped, inviting Musk to reach out, if he has a problem with it.
Pete Buttigieg hits back at Elon Musk’s claims
Hurricane Helene has brought along historic flooding and a storm surge of over 15 feet, sparking a wave of humanitarian efforts and big donations pouring in to help those affected. Musk, who’s been hands-on with relief efforts, shared a screenshot of a conversation where someone claimed the airspace was “shut down” and that the FAA was “limiting flights.”
Responding to the accusations on Friday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “No one is shutting down the airspace, and the FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights.” Aiming to debunk false allegations and conspiracy theories shared by Elon Musk with his 200 million followers, Buttigieg added, “If you’re encountering a problem, give me a call.”
Elon Musk and Pete Buttigieg spar on X
Following Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s response to his accusations of a federal agency blocking disaster areas and hindering private helicopters from delivering Starlink terminals and other supplies, Elon Musk quickly replied. The tech mogul said he had heard “hundreds” of these stories and wanted to talk more about it. “I’d really like to chat with you. I’ll follow you—just DM me your number,” Musk said.
Buttigieg was replying to a post from Musk who earlier slammed Biden’s administration saying, “The level of belligerent government incompetence is staggering!!” Posting texts allegedly received from a Space X member working on the project, he wrote, “SpaceX engineers are trying to deliver Starlink terminals & supplies to devastated areas in North Carolina right now and @FEMA is both failing to help AND won’t let others help. This is unconscionable!!”
Hours later, Musk again took to his social media page and thanked the Transportation Secretary for having a chat with him. “Thanks for the call. Hopefully, we can resolve this soon,” he replied with a cryptic one-liner leaving the audience to wonder what happened during the call.
FEMA replies to Elon Musk’s claims
It seems Pete Buttigieg wasn’t the only one to respond to Musk’s allegations—FEMA also pushed back, calling the accusations false. “The claims about FEMA confiscating or taking commodities, supplies, or resources in North Carolina, Tennessee, or any state impacted by Helene are false,” said FEMA’s director of public affairs, in a statement.
“FEMA has helped provide Starlink terminals to the state of North Carolina, including to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation and critical lifeline locations as determined by the state,” the statement further read according to The Hill. “These units are supporting state and local municipalities, Urban Search and Rescue and disaster coordination. Starlink units have been sent to multiple states in support of Hurricane Helene response efforts.” Musk’s unfounded claim was just one of several conspiracy theories he’s circulated about the Federal agency this week.
