Retired Army general declares Musk a ‘national security risk’ in brutal NYT op-ed
Share:
Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré highlighted the tech billionaire’s history of appeasing and praising the Chinese Communist Party and his multiple business deals with it. Elon Musk has been branded a “national security risk” by a former U.S. army general, who cited his concerns over the tech billionaire’s close ties with the Chinese government.
![[The close relationship between Musk and President-elect Trump has already raised eyebrows in Washington, with concerns raised over the tech boss’ levels of influence]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/29/00/TRUMP-INMIGRACI%C3%93N_63946.jpg)
Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré, who retired in 2008, highlighted Musk’s history of appeasing and praising the Chinese Communist Party and his multiple business deals with the party, particularly in the modern space race. Musk has previously borrowed at least $1.4 billion from banks controlled by the Chinese government to help build a “gigafactory” in Shanghai for Tesla. The factory was responsible for more than half of Tesla’s global deliveries in the third quarter of 2024.
![[Vivek Ramaswamy, with whom Musk is set to head up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has also previously raised concerns about the billionaire’s close ties with China]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/06/17/2188406570.jpg)
“China does not tend to give things away,” Honoré wrote. “The country’s laws stipulate that the Communist Party can demand intelligence from any company doing business in China, in exchange for participating in the country’s markets. “This means Mr. Musk’s business dealings in China could require him to hand over sensitive classified information, learned either through his business interests or his proximity to President-elect Donald Trump.”.