Musk Faces Off With Biden Over X
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur known for taking risks and disrupting traditional industries, finds himself at the forefront of an unusual flurry of investigations under the Biden administration. This comes after Musk’s acquisition of X, formerly known as Twitter, less than a year ago — a platform he used to release documents known as the “Twitter Files,” exposing what many say is left-wing censorship.
“In the past, I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party,” Musk posted on the X platform in May 2022. “But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold.”
Musk’s words appear prophetic. Since his takeover of X, his businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, have faced multiple federal inquiries. Biden seemed to personally ignite the investigative fire, stating that Musk’s relationships with foreign governments “is worthy of being looked at.” No sooner had Musk reoriented X around the idea of free speech than the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) came knocking with a barrage of questions.
In July, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) stated that the FTC had issued over 350 solicitations for information from X since Musk took control. “More than harassment, that seems like almost an obsession,” Jordan asserted. A subcommittee report stated the “timing, scope, and frequency of the FTC’s demands to Twitter suggest a partisan motivation to its action,” raising eyebrows among conservative circles.
What’s even more startling is the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are also scrutinizing Tesla for an alleged secretive project, rumored to be the construction of a glass house. Musk debunked these allegations, posting on X, “I’m not building a house of any kind, let alone a glass one!”
SpaceX is also under the federal microscope, this time for alleged discrimination in hiring policies. The DOJ accuses SpaceX of not hiring people seeking asylum and refugees. Musk countered by pointing out that rockets are classified as “advanced weapons technology,” necessitating green cards for all employees.
In all of this, one can’t help but notice the timing. As Musk takes a step back from supporting the Democratic Party and unveils allegations of censorship, his companies suddenly find themselves the subject of multiple investigations.
The FTC’s probe alone has been so exhaustive that X Corp. filed a motion for a protective order to prevent Musk from having to testify. The Department of Justice opposed this, citing “sudden, radical changes at the company” since Musk took over, including mass layoffs and “alarming site outages.”
While federal agencies may justify their actions by pointing to regulatory violations or potential misconduct, the stack of investigations raises questions about selective enforcement. Could this be a “dirty tricks campaign,” as Musk suggested, or a coincidence? Given the current political climate, the answer might not seem so straightforward.
