Elon Musk is considering legal action after California officials cited his political views in their decision to deny additional SpaceX rocket launches. On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission rejected the U.S. Space Force’s request to increase the number of SpaceX rocket launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base from 36 to 50 per year. The commission voted six to four against the request.
During the hearing, commissioners expressed concerns about Musk’s political stance and his recent campaign appearance with former President Donald Trump. Caryl Hart, the commission chair, raised accusations of illegal regulatory lawfare by making distinctions between SpaceX and other companies. “It’s not the other companies. This is about SpaceX increasing their launches, not the other companies increasing their launches,” Hart said, adding: “We’re dealing with a company the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race and made it clear what his point of view is.”
Hart also seemed to overlook that SpaceX Director of Government Affairs Matthew Dunn had participated in the hearing via Zoom earlier, while Commissioner Mike Wilson noted during the hearing that politics and science “mix in these spaces,” according to the Daily Wire. Wilson whined that Musk was “speaking about political retribution on a national stage, and it was very glib, but yet he was standing next to a person, a candidate that openly promotes and is working to normalize that language, and we have to push back against that.” And Commissioner Gretchen Newsom accused Musk of “hopping about the country spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims.”
Musk took the Democrat sympathizers to task in an X post: “The Coastal Commission has one job – take care of the California coast. It is illegal for them to make decisions based on what they (mostly wrongly) think are my politics. For example, I have done more to advance sustainable energy & help the environment than maybe anyone ever, which is not exactly a “far-right” position. Yet here they are shamelessly breaking the law! They should resign immediately and face the appropriate legal consequences for their actions.”
The Coastal Commission has one job – take care of the California coast.
It is illegal for them to make decisions based on what they (mostly wrongly) think are my politics.
For example, I have done more to advance sustainable energy & help the environment than maybe anyone… https://t.co/x5CF2WkVdA
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2024
Musk has been vocal in his support of Trump during this election cycle. During his campaign appearance with Trump in Pennsylvania on October 5, the tech mogul encouraged attendees to register to vote and support Trump in the critical swing state. Trump is engaged in a highly competitive race against Vice President Kamala Harris, with several polls this month indicating that her slight national lead is beginning to diminish
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.