“I stand with Elon,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said over the weekend in a legal dispute between Elon Musk and the California Coastal Commission over the number of rockets the billionaire’s company can launch from the coast. , stood by Musk.
Mr. Musk, an ardent supporter of former President Trump, has often clashed with Mr. Newsom in public disputes over transgender rights, “deepfakes” and other issues, and Mr. Musk has repeatedly clashed with Mr. Newsom on social media. The governor’s comments were surprising, as the posts above often devolved into crude ones.
Mr. Newsom commented: politiko In an interview, the California governor was campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris in Northern California.
The SpaceX dispute centers on the Coastal Commission’s rejection of the company’s plan to increase the number of rockets it launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base near the Santa Barbara coast to 50 a year. This commission is made up of appointed members and is tasked with regulating land development and protecting natural resources along the coast.
Members of the commission, who have expressed concerns for months about the effects of rocket launches and sonic booms on local wildlife, cited Musk’s political influence, concerns in their no vote, He also mentioned his post to X and his company’s work history. plan.
SpaceX sued the agency over the vote, accusing it of “egregious and unlawful overstepping of its authority.”
In an interview Thursday, Newsom appeared to side with Musk, saying, “Look, I’m not helping with the lawsuit,” adding, “You can’t bring up politics on that blatant level.” he added.
A spokesperson for the Coastal Commission declined to comment.
SpaceX and the commission have been at odds for months over the company’s plans to rapidly increase the number of rockets it launches from Vandenberg.
SpaceX is a major contractor for the Space Force, and military officials argue that its launches are in the interest of the U.S. government. The state commission cannot technically prevent a rocket launch by SpaceX because the launch is considered a federal activity, but it has an agreement with federal officials to reduce the impact of the launch called the Federal Consistency Plan. is to be reached.
In rejecting SpaceX’s launch acceleration plan earlier this month, several committee members cited Musk’s political activity and posts about SpaceX, which he acquired in 2022, as concerns.
“We’re dealing with companies whose presidents are active participants in presidential elections,” Commission Chair Caryl Hart said at the meeting.
Others cited Musk’s social media posts spreading false information about the federal government’s response to hurricane victims and how U.S. ally Ukraine used his Starlink satellite internet service. cites his decision to deny permission to carry out attacks. Russia in 2022.
Some commissioners are also increasingly considering whether SpaceX could be forced to apply for the launch permits required of a private company rather than as a federal contractor. The commission notes that 80% to 87% of SpaceX’s launches do not carry government payloads, instead carrying Starlink satellites.
A SpaceX spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Federal officials insist that all rocket launches benefit the U.S. government.
“They’re good commissioners,” Newsom said. politiko. “But you have to call the balls and strikes. And believe me, I’m not really into the Elon Musk trend right now. So I call the balls and strikes. ”
Musk and Newsom have clashed in the past, after Musk announced that burdensome regulations and high taxes would force him to move his companies X and SpaceX out of California. He is a vocal critic of California politicians.
in MSNBC interviewNewsom criticized Musk’s attempts to influence the presidential election, saying he was one of the “people drawn to Donald Trump.”
“I’m very concerned that there will certainly be restrictions in countries where you have people like Elon Musk and other people who have been drawn to Donald Trump,” Newsom said Sunday. “What is being formed here is an American oligarchy.”
Mr. Newsom also accused Mr. Musk of using a deepfake political ad that altered a video of Vice President Kamala Harris and signed a law banning such videos.
Mr. Musk responded to Mr. Newsom with an X, posting: Dirty jokes.
Newsom said the commissioner and his team worked behind the scenes to help reach agreements with military officials to resolve “legitimate concerns.”
The Commissioners require the U.S. Air Force to develop a written plan to increase monitoring of the impacts of operations on wildlife on and near bases and to reduce the impact and increased occurrence of sonic booms along the coastline.7 It asked me to agree to two conditions.
Military officials initially rejected some terms in August, but agreed to them at a subsequent meeting.
But the governor said he was concerned that the discussion would veer away from issues surrounding the launch.
“They certainly could have said, ‘We’re just not happy with it.’ [the proposal] Now,” he said. “But that wasn’t what they said.”
