Fact Check: Did Elon Musk and Xi Jinping trade barbs over Starlink and space warfare?
WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming to show an exchange between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Chinese President Xi Jinping over Starlink satellites and space warfare. The claim has triggered mixed reactions and speculation among online users, with some questioning the authenticity of the alleged exchange.
The viral post featured purported threats involving satellite attacks and power grids. It garnered more than a million views and was also shared on other platforms.
Claim: Elon Musk and Xi Jinping exchange threats over Starlink
According to a viral post on X, Musk allegedly said, “If any foreign power attempts a cyberattack on Starlink or space infrastructure, we will permanently disable their entire power grid with autonomous orbital strikes in seconds."
In response, the Chinese president allegedly stated, “Know your place, Silicon Valley billionaire. One order and our anti-satellite kinetic lasers will burn your satellites into space dust before you can send a single tweet. Don't play with fire."
The post attracted more than a million views and was shared on other platforms, with many appearing to believe the exchange was genuine, while others remained skeptical and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: The alleged exchange between Musk and Xi is fabricated
The claim is false, and the exchange is fabricated, as there is no evidence of such a conversation between Musk and Xi. There are no official statements, press conferences, social media posts or interviews of the two making threats against each other over Starlink and space warfare.
If the exchange had really taken place, it would likely have attracted coverage from prominent news media outlets. However, a Google search for the claim yielded no credible news reports documenting the alleged exchange, apart from social media posts sharing it.
Additionally, the claim was posted by an X account called 'US military power,' which describes itself in its bio as a 'parody account.’
Elon Musk returns to Republican politics ahead of midterm elections
The claim appeared after Musk returned to Republican politics ahead of the November midterm elections.
According to a report by The New York Times, a spokesperson for Musk's America PAC said that he gave $276 million to multiple Republican super PACs and political groups over the past three months.
“Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, and it’s election season,” GOP strategist Chris Johnson told The Hill.
“If Democrats take control of Washington and win key gubernatorial and attorney general races this November, then America risks becoming a socialist, woke, and borderless country,” Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for America PAC, said in a statement.
