Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke on to Elon Musk on the billionaire's X platform on Friday to counter false conspiracies about federal disaster aid to victims Hurricane Helene that Musk spread on X, where his follower count is over 200 million.
“No one is closing airspace and the FAA is not blocking legitimate rescue and recovery flights,” Buttigieg wrote. “If you encounter a problem, call me.”
Buttigieg responded to a post by Musk that falsely claimed the Federal Aviation Administration would close airspace within the disaster area and “throttle” flights transporting supplies.
An FAA spokesperson told CNBC: “There are no airspace restrictions in effect in North Carolina as recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene continue. Pilots planning to fly into Asheville or Rutherford airports must contact the airport to obtain permission to land. This is the case with the FAA. “We are working with local authorities to ensure that rescue operations are carried out safely.”
Musk's false claim was considered one of them several conspiracies Musk spoke this week about federal emergency personnel as tens of 1000’s of individuals turn to government agencies to supply disaster relief within the hardest-hit states Helene.
“@FEMA “This means not only that we are not simply failing to adequately help those in difficulty, but that we are actively blocking citizens who attempt to help,” Musk said in an apparent text message on his social media post.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to Musk in a press release to CNBC: “The allegations that FEMA seized or confiscated goods, supplies or resources in North Carolina, Tennessee or any other state affected by Helene are false,” the said Director of Public Affairs Jaclyn Rothenberg.
FEMA has previously used Starlinks to assist with disaster relief in places like Guam, Hawaii and Alaska, she noted. In storm-ravaged North Carolina, Starlink units are supporting state and native governments, urban search and rescue, and disaster coordination efforts.
Musk has officially endorsed former Republican President Donald Trump and has turn out to be a significant donor to the Republican Party lately.
On Friday, Trump amplified Musk's false claims about FEMA and FAA on Trump's own social media platform Truth Social, where he posted them without comment to his nearly 8 million followers.
Musk's SpaceX and its Starlink satellite web services brand previously announced they’d broadcast roughly 500 Starlink kitsdonated by individuals and organizations to support Helene's recovery efforts. They also developed the Starlink web service free for users For 30 days within the areas devastated by Helene.
That was after FEMA had previously announced It deployed SpaceX's Starlink terminals to bring web service to distant areas affected by the storm.
Musk often uses
He previously threatened to sue the Federal Aviation Administration, attacked the Environmental Protection Agency over its punishment of SpaceX and sharply criticized other federal agencies.
Musk's SpaceX is determined by federal agencies for billions of dollars in annual revenue, and his automaker Tesla has benefited generously from federal programs that gave the corporate a key loan, tax breaks and other subsidies and incentives.
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