A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis is weighing in on Elon Musk’s recent dispute with Ukraine about Starlink satellite internet costs.
DeSantis is siding with the billionaire over the nation under attack from Moscow, suggesting that Ukrainian officials were biting the hand that feeds them in criticizing Musk. Musk had complained about the cost, but ultimately relented and said he’d keep providing satellite internet units.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, Elon Musk positioned his satellites over Ukraine and gave them these things. So they’ve actually been using his devices to be able to defend their country, and I guess some of the people in the government were attacking Musk,” DeSantis said Monday.
“And I’m just thinking to myself, ‘He’s doing this for free,’ ” DeSantis said. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Good Lord!”
“He’s provided that for them for free,” DeSantis added. “And if you think about it, in a country that big, given what’s going on, that’s tens of millions of dollars that he’s effectively donated.”
The Associated Press reported Friday that Musk had officially asked the Defense Department to take over funding for the service Starlink provides in Ukraine. Musk tweeted that it was costing SpaceX $20 million a month to support Ukraine’s communications needs.
“The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free,“ Musk tweeted Saturday.
DeSantis’ defense of Musk came after questions at a post-Hurricane Ian press conference in North Port Monday, where a local Comcast customer asked about poor internet reception in his area. DeSantis suggested that “Elon Musk devices” and “Musk stuff” at public areas in each county may help in the short term, referring to the units Musk offered for free in Ian’s wake.
The mutual admiration society between Musk and DeSantis has existed for some time.
Musk has mused that DeSantis may be a good choice for President. DeSantis has agreed with Musk’s contentions that “whoever controls the teleprompter” controls President Joe Biden.
On the question of Ukraine, DeSantis’ words have been open to interpretation since the Russian invasion earlier this year. DeSantis offered comments broadly supportive of the “moxie” of Ukrainian resistance fighters, though he stopped short of the kind of untrammeled support for the Ukrainian war effort that others offered even in the early days of the war.
His criticisms were directed at President Joe Biden more so than Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who DeSantis does not seem to respect.
“This is a guy who basically is an authoritarian gas station attendant — OK? — with some legacy nuclear weapons from the old Soviet Union,” DeSantis said of Putin in February.
Biden enabled Putin, DeSantis went on to say.
“The weakness has bred a lot of the disorder that we’re seeing right now.”
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The Associate Press contributed to this post.
9 comments
Charlie Crist
October 17, 2022 at 3:17 pm
DeSantis and the Republicans have been Russian assets for 6 years. This is only a drop in the bucket of reasons why this party is a threat to national security.
Hope
October 17, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Hunter Biden, payment from Russian mayor’s wife, Ukraine dealings, China dealings, Pelosi Schumer China dealings… war in Ukraine, Afghanistan debacle killing 13 troops… on Biden’s watch.
The war with Putin, the leader of Russia, is on Biden’s watch you fool.
Karen
October 17, 2022 at 8:01 pm
What an idiotic statement! You’re gonna lose big time!
Yrral
October 17, 2022 at 8:33 pm
Putin can generally do what ,he want in Ukraine, even use a nuke,and nothing military would be done to him,the US do have a first strike posture, Macron said over the weekend,he will come to Ukrainain aid with Nukes,if Russia nuked Ukraine Google France Nuke Russia Google Ben Wallace Macron Google US Congress First Strike
Yrral
October 17, 2022 at 9:26 pm
This war is headed down the nuclear stage all safety button,have been removed Google Ben Wallace Macron
Rick Siegfried
October 18, 2022 at 1:27 pm
This shows how ignorant Desantis truly is. Musk is getting paid $3M by the US, as well as the invaluable publicity and PR. DeSantis is a fascist, anti-American TRAITOR, as is Musk
marylou
October 18, 2022 at 1:31 pm
Not free. The U.S. government paid Musk $3 million for equipment and to keep the satellites over Ukraine.
Musk has received $$$$Billions in Corporate WELFARE, including subsidies, grants, loans, tax gifts, etc., from the US government. Musk lives off the US taxpayers. Musk does not do anything Free.
marylou
October 18, 2022 at 5:52 pm
Starlink was the recipient of nearly $1billion in federal grants. Musk has received Billions of Welfare $$$$ from the US government. Taxpayer’s are supporting this LEECH.
Ukrop
October 21, 2022 at 1:29 pm
Most of the starlinks were given by Poland, not by Musk. Starlink is paid on an ongoing basis by Ukrainian volunteers, and there are proofs of that by thousands of Ukrainians.
The Republicans became a right-wing party sowing Russian propaganda.
Comments are closed.