Trump says Elon Musk will 'never do anything wrong' amid Ukraine Starlink speed controversy
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has defended Elon Musk as questions persist over disruptions to Ukraine’s Starlink satellite communications, saying he trusts the billionaire to act fairly and promising to intervene if the connectivity problem remains unresolved.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, October 23, Trump said that he was prepared to contact Musk over the issue, if necessary.
Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have reported continuing restrictions affecting the country’s military communications.
Q: Do you think it's right for the richest man in the world to have so much power over what goes on in a war because Russia and Ukraine? TRUMP: Well, I don't think he does. First of all, he's a very good person. He's not gonna do anything wrong. Elon will never do anything wrong.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2026
Trump backs Elon Musk over Starlink dispute while Ukraine disagrees
Trump dismissed concerns that Elon Musk may have deliberately acted improperly amid the controversy over restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink connectivity, insisting he trusted the billionaire’s judgment.
“Elon will never do anything wrong. I know him very well. He's a fair person,” Trump told reporters, describing the situation as unusual because Starlink is operated by a private company.
Trump said he had not discussed the issue with Musk but indicated that he would intervene if the disruption continued.
“If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out,” he said.
His remarks came amid conflicting accounts of whether Ukraine’s access had been fully restored.
Q: Have you told Elon Musk to stop messing around with Ukraine's Starlink connection? TRUMP: I have not spoken to him. I might have to, but I have not. I've heard it was fixed, but if it's not, I'll speak to him https://t.co/XaNe5CtPTj
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2026
On Thursday, Trump claimed Musk had reversed the restrictions, saying, “The bottom line: he put it back.”
Ukrainian officials, however, reported that connectivity problems persisted.
Citing Ukrainian officials, The Wall Street Journal reported that the connections were still failing across large parts of Ukraine when drones traveled at speeds exceeding roughly 100 miles per hour.
The limits reportedly took effect on October 13, as tensions between Kyiv and Washington intensified.
However, neither Trump nor Musk has publicly acknowledged responsibility for introducing the restrictions.
Q: Do you tell Elon Musk to bring back Starlink for Ukraine? TRUMP: I don't want to say. I don't want to comment on it. The bottom line is he put it back https://t.co/l8zAnYDEWR
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 22, 2026
Conflicting accounts over restrictions
The question of who authorized the Starlink restrictions has produced differing explanations from Musk and Trump.
Musk said last week that decisions over access in Ukraine rested with the US military and the president. Trump, speaking on Monday, said that he was unaware of who had imposed the limits.
The dispute has also prompted comments from senior officials about the administration’s position on the war.
Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that the issue went beyond Musk personally and reflected a larger disagreement over Washington’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the controversy a day earlier, saying he had not seen The Wall Street Journal report that attributed the slowdown to Musk.
The secretary of state also pointed to the distinction between government policy and the decisions of privately run companies.
“We cannot direct a private company as to the decisions they make or not make,” Rubio said.
The dispute comes as Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries add another point of tension to US-Ukraine relations.
The attacks have drawn attention amid rising energy costs in the United States, and both Trump and Musk have publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the strikes.
