Trump Says He Asked Musk for Starlink in Helene-Hit Towns
(Bloomberg) -- Republican Donald Trump said he had spoken to Elon Musk and would enlist the billionaire to help restore communications to communities hit by Hurricane Helene — a step the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has already taken in some places.
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“We want to get Starlink hooked up, because they have no communication whatsoever,” Trump said Monday during a visit to storm-ravaged Georgia. “Throughout the region, our hearts are with you, and we are going to be with you as long as you need it.”
Starlink is SpaceX’s massive internet-from-space initiative, consisting of more than 6,000 satellites in orbit that beam broadband coverage to Earth. Users can tap into the system with user terminal antennas that connect to satellites orbiting overhead.
Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall told reporters during a White House briefing Monday that FEMA will install 30 Starlink receivers in North Carolina, another state also hit hard by the powerful storm, today.
It’s not clear whether Trump was calling for an expansion of that effort or proposing a separate initiative.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The powerful storm cut a path through several states, including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The latter two are among the presidential race’s seven battleground states likely to determine the outcome of November’s election.
The hurricane left more than 100 people dead and hundreds more unaccounted for, President Joe Biden said earlier Monday. Many communities are still dealing with flooding and power outages.
Trump, touting the support of one of his most prominent backers, said: “Elon will always come through.”
The Republican nominee’s visit comes as the powerful hurricane shakes up the 2024 race, sending both Trump and Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris moving to address the disaster and assure voters in key swing states affected that they are best positioned to bring relief with five weeks until Election Day.
Biden said he hopes to visit North Carolina by the end of the week. Harris, who will receive a briefing from FEMA in Washington, DC on Monday evening, has also said she hopes to visit affected communities when her presence is not a distraction.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is in North Carolina and will remain in the state until the situation stabilizes, the agency said.
--With assistance from Loren Grush and Dana Hull.
(Updates throughout with details on FEMA efforts)
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