Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke on to Elon Musk Friday on the billionaire’s X platform, a part of an effort to counter false conspiracies about federal catastrophe help for victims of Hurricane Helene that Musk unfold on X, the place his follower rely stands over 200 million.
“Nobody is shutting down the airspace and FAA does not block reputable rescue and restoration flights,” wrote Buttigieg. “For those who’re encountering an issue give me a name.”
Buttigieg was replying to a put up from Musk that falsely claimed the Federal Aviation Administration was shutting down airspace within the catastrophe zone and “throttling” flights transporting provides.
An FAA spokesperson advised CNBC, “There aren’t any airspace restrictions in place in North Carolina as rescue efforts proceed due to Hurricane Helene. Pilots seeking to come into Asheville or Rutherford airports want to achieve out to the airport for permission to land. The FAA is working with native authorities to make sure rescue efforts occur safely.”
Musk’s false declare was one in every of a number of conspiracies Musk has unfold about federal emergency personnel this week, as tens of hundreds of individuals flip to authorities businesses for catastrophe reduction in states hard-hit by Helene.
“@FEMA shouldn’t be merely failing to adequately assist folks in bother, however is actively blocking residents who attempt to assist!” Musk mentioned in an obvious textual content message inside his social put up.
Federal Emergency Administration Company representatives weren’t instantly accessible to remark Friday.
Musk has formally endorsed Republican former President Donald Trump, and he has turn out to be a mega donor to the GOP lately.
On Friday, Trump amplified Musk’s false claims about FEMA and FAA on Trump’s personal social media platform, Reality Social, the place he posted them with out remark to his practically 8 million followers.
Musk’s SpaceX and its satellite tv for pc web service model Starlink, have beforehand mentioned that they’d ship roughly 500 Starlink kits, donated by personal people and organizations, to assist with the Helene restoration efforts. Additionally they made Starlink web service free for customers for 30 days in areas devastated by Helene.
This was after FEMA had beforehand introduced it was dispatching SpaceX’s Starlink terminals to deliver web providers to distant areas hit by the storm.
Musk continuously makes use of X to impress — however in lashing out at FEMA on Friday, he escalated his battle with the U.S. authorities.
He has beforehand threatened to sue the Federal Aviation Administration, attacked the Environmental Safety Company for penalizing SpaceX, and lashed out at different federal businesses.
Musk’s SpaceX relies upon upon federal businesses for what quantities to billions of {dollars} in annual income, and his automaker Tesla has handsomely benefitted from federal applications that gave the corporate an important mortgage, tax breaks and different subsidies and incentives.
Individuals who have suffered loss or harm as a consequence of Tropical Storm Helene in designated counties, can apply for presidency help utilizing the FEMA app, which might be downloaded from the Apple Retailer or Google Play Retailer, by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
