Pete Buttigieg Confirms Talk With Elon Musk

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on MSNBC that he and Elon Musk spoke on the phone after Musk implied that FEMA was shutting down airways preventing hurricane relief.

“He called,” Buttigieg said Sunday on “Inside with Jen Psaki.” “We had a conversation. What we found out what was actually happening was the FAA was not closing down any airspace, but there was an issue with pilots who were helping get Starlink equipment to where it needed to be.”

On Friday, Musk posted a text exchange with someone on X, implying that FEMA was shutting down airways and that his satellite internet company Starlink couldn’t be delivered to parts of North Carolina to help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

Buttigieg responded to Musk’s post, writing, “No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call.”

Buttigieg said Musk did call him, and then wrote on social media, “Thanks for expediting approval for support flights. Just wanted to note that Sec Buttigieg is on the ball.”

On “Inside with Jen Psaki,” Buttigieg explained that when there’s a disaster, a local airport, fire department or Coast Guard can request a temporary flight restriction.

“It doesn’t shut down the airspace, but it increases the level of coordination that goes on because you want to make sure that that airspace is safe and that you prevent the risk of collisions,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg said this process has been in place for decades.

“I’ve been amazed at how a little kernel of some detail gets blown up on the internet into something that it’s not,” he said.

Former President Donald Trump shared the misinformation on Truth Social. According to FEMA, “The FAA is not restricting access for recovery operations. The FAA is coordinating closely with state and local officials to make sure everyone is operating safely in very crowded and congested airspace.”