A retired general is warning the Trump administration that X owner Elon Musk is a "national security risk" whose ties to the Chinese government cannot be overlooked.
Writing in the New York Times, Ret. Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré examined Musk's overseas business dealings with his companies Tesla and SpaceX and outlined why they could threaten American security.
"Mr. Musk’s business ventures are heavily reliant on China," he wrote. "He borrowed at least $1.4 billion from banks controlled by the Chinese government to help build Tesla’s Shanghai gigafactory, which was responsible for more than half of Tesla’s global deliveries in the third quarter of 2024. China does not tend to give things away. The country’s laws stipulate that the Communist Party can demand intelligence from any company doing business in China, in exchange for participating in the country’s markets."
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Honoré added that Musk's dependence on China for his business ventures are particularly problematic given the United States' own dependence on his SpaceX company for its space programs.
"SpaceX has a near monopoly on the United States’ rocket launches," he wrote. "The United States is in an intense space race with China. ... The last thing the United States needs is for China to potentially have an easier way of obtaining classified intelligence and national security information."
He concluded his piece by encouraging a thorough investigation of Musk's business practices — and he believes the United States should be ready to cut him off depending on what is uncovered.
"If the federal investigations demonstrate deep connections to China and Russia, the federal government should consider revoking Mr. Musk’s security clearance," he wrote. "It should already be thinking about using alternatives to SpaceX’s launch services."
