Elon Musk warned that he would retaliate if Democrats, who could seize control of Congress after the midterm elections, move to investigate him. On the 21st, Musk wrote on his social media account, "Live by the sword, die by the sword." He said that those who pick a fight with him should know that he will find out who is actually pulling the strings behind the scenes and go after them, adding that it will not be only the front men.
The remarks came shortly after a Politico report. Politico said Democrats could launch investigations targeting Musk's companies and political activities if they win the House or the Senate in the midterm elections.
Musk has come under pressure to face scrutiny after reports that he recently ordered a reduction in the speed of military Starlink assets in Ukraine. Democrats have signaled they could also examine Musk's tenure leading the Department of Government Efficiency, along with that issue. The department spearheaded the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the elimination of more than 250,000 federal jobs.
Politico reported that Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.) has shown interest in targeting government contracts held by Musk's companies. Dexter described Musk as one of the well-connected billionaires and trillionaires who have viewed government contracts as a way to subsidize their own companies' research and development and bottom line.
Musk has maintained that decisions on the use of Starlink or any speed restrictions rest with the White House and President Donald Trump. But Trump said earlier this week that he did not know who was responsible for the restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink access. The limits have rendered both attack and defense drones useless.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him the slowdown would be lifted. Rubio announced that Musk and SpaceX decide whether Ukraine has access to Starlink satellites.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called for an investigation into Musk and for testimony on his influence over national security, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) backed the proposal. Schiff said decisions to slow satellite speeds and access are a matter of life and death for Ukraine, and that national security should not hinge on the personal whims of an unstable executive.
Musk said last year that Ukraine would "inevitably lose" its war with Russia. The war began with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. He also said Starlink was "the backbone of the Ukrainian army," and that if he turned it off, the entire front line would collapse.