Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who is now central to Donald Trump’s election campaign, has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin for the past two years, according to a report in the US.

The Wall Street Journal, citing several in-post and former US, European and Russian officials, reported that the conversations between the two men ranged from the personal to the geopolitical and included a request from the Russian leader not to activate his Starlink ​​satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to the Chinese leader and Putin ally, Xi Jinping.

  • Justin
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    29 days ago

    Isn’t this espionage/treason? He has security clearance, he should not have contact with foreign government officials or sabotage our allies.

      • FenrirIII
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        4029 days ago

        Rich and a Republican

      • @jordanlund
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        -329 days ago

        Removed, advocating violence. Plus, isn’t Musk still a foreign national? Not sure how “Treason” applies to non-Americans.

        • subignition
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          1428 days ago

          You’re kidding me… I was discussing whether his actions meet the definition of a crime and therefore whether the established legal punishment would be appropriate. As others have commented he IS an American citizen (from 2002) and there’s no question of jurisdiction here. Although treason is a very high bar (despite mounting evidence) and it is much more likely that he could be got for sedition under the Smith Act or something.

          I disagree with your decision. I think your effort would be better spent focusing on the folks actually advocating for vigilantism.

        • @yemmly
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          729 days ago

          He is and he isn’t. He’s a citizen of South Africa, Canada, and the USA.

        • @jordanlund
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          229 days ago

          Removed, advocating violence. Lemmy.world can’t afford to get on a list. :)

          • @xenoclast
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            226 days ago

            Absolutely fair. Bad mood.

    • @AdamEatsAss
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      1629 days ago

      Also a potential breach of ITAR.

  • @captainlezbian
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    12229 days ago

    Now there’s an immigrant destroying the country

  • Flying SquidM
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    9129 days ago

    Someone remind me what happened involving Musk almost exactly two years ago… I’m pretty sure something relevant happened on October 28, 2022… I remember a little bird chirping in my ear…

  • @[email protected]
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    8729 days ago

    So combined with his interjection into politics, wouldn’t this be two serious crimes he’s committed?

    • snooggums
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      29 days ago

      Yeah, but he has a lot of money so it is fine.

      Everything is fine.

      • @cmoney
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        5829 days ago

        It’s when poor people do something the wealthy don’t like.

  • IninewCrow
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    8629 days ago

    A billionaire might have done something illegal and possibly treasonous?

    I wonder if anyone will follow through on this.

    • Tiefling IRL
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      1329 days ago

      I’m sure Trump will follow through with a pardon as he hands the US to Russia

    • @[email protected]
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      929 days ago

      I would understand it if Musk was in anyway threatening. But he’s obviously a child trying to sit at the adult table. All anyone has to do is insult him at grade school level and he flinches.

      Him and most of the other wackos right now are like Bond villain D tier henchmen. How is no one taking these morons down? Is this really how the people in power cave, by letting these fools run free?

      • IninewCrow
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        4229 days ago

        As silly as it sounds … there was a similar argument for the National Socialist Party in Germany in the 1930s. Many people thought they were a joke and weren’t taken seriously at first.

        Put enough money, finances and marketing behind a movement no matter how insane it is and it can quickly go out of control.

        What people don’t realize is that it is money and finance that make these movements possible. They don’t just appear out of thin air through the force of one personality or the cult following of one person. It takes money to sell an idea and the more money you spend on it, the bigger the idea will become. These nut jobs are being funnelled millions of dollars either directly or indirectly to spread their garbage. Part of the problem is the insane personality that everyone glorifies … the greatest problem are the millionaires and billionaires and corporations that fund these idiots to push their own agenda from the background.

        • @captainlezbian
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          1529 days ago

          When nobody stops the clown coup they eventually find their way into running the damn circus. Silliness is no excuse for evil, nor is general incompetence. There’s a reason that attempted murder is a crime.

        • @irreticent
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          1029 days ago

          These nut jobs are being funnelled millions of dollars either directly or indirectly to spread their garbage.

          In related news:

          “Last week, the Justice Department alleged that Russian state media producers funneled nearly $10 million to an unnamed Tennessee-based company, later determined by CNN to be Tenet Media, to create and amplify content that often featured narratives and themes supported by the Kremlin. Tenet Media boasts a slate of high-profile right-wing, pro-Trump commentators including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Benny Johnson and several others.”

          They claim to have been duped yet they’re still keeping the money and still pushing the propaganda. Seems legit.

    • @bamfic
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      229 days ago

      Never fucking happen

  • @[email protected]
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    3629 days ago

    Wouldn’t surprise me if Putin is deploying underage honey-trapping on these guys like Trump/Elon/Tucker/etc., covertly filming it, and then blackmail owning them thereafter.

    • @Crashumbc
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      3329 days ago

      He doesn’t have to. They all envy his position of power ( dictatorship).

    • @[email protected]
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      328 days ago

      I also assume something like this. Seems like Putin has has had kompromat on Trump since the 90s.

    • @mynameisigglepiggle
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      429 days ago

      I think Putin might just be the big head, then Elon, then Trump

      • @[email protected]
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        328 days ago

        While I agree, I also feel it’s deserving to have little vladdy as the smallest doll in the Russian doll set.

      • @Snapz
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        128 days ago

        No, it’s who’s working for who. I read it as putin is the rotten core of it all.

  • @dephyre
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    2529 days ago

    Wouldn’t this be a violation of the Logan Act?

    • Flying SquidM
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      2929 days ago

      Apparently, in the 21st century, you can violate the Logan Act as much as you like.

      • @errer
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        729 days ago

        When you run starlink they let you do it. You can do anything.

  • Avid Amoeba
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    2129 days ago

    Implications for the ongoing election as well as the war in Ukraine. Starlink comms likely provide important intelligence that Putin could use.

  • @Pacattack57
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    2129 days ago

    Is t there a law that says private citizens shouldn’t be representing the US with foreign leaders?

    • Dem Bosain
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      2129 days ago

      Why yes there is, from the 19th century. But it’s not about abortion, so surely is unenforceable.

    • @yemmly
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      829 days ago

      If he wasn’t the richest being in the known universe, he’d be fighting an indictment right now.

  • @RangerJosie
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    1829 days ago

    Of all the reasons I’d put that dipshit on blast. This one is just silly. Probably true. Not denying that. Its just stupid. That he, wildly overinflated dumbass of an ego constantly high on his own farts, thought his in-house security was better than the INFOSEC nerds at Langley.

    Worse than that. It wont matter. This is America. The amount of money the fuckwit has means he’s quite literally untouchable. Because this is the bad place. We live in hell.

    • @mynameisigglepiggle
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      129 days ago

      Pretty sure I died in 2016 or maybe it was 2020. Either way you might be right

  • Kokesh
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    1629 days ago

    His businesses should be barred from getting any kind of government contracts. ISS would be hard, but definitely no army contracts, etc.

  • JaggedRobotPubes
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    1529 days ago

    Destroy the American traitors propping up Putin to dispel the invasion of Ukraine and score a victory for the planet.

  • @profdc9
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    828 days ago

    What do you want to bet the NSA has recordings of Musk’s phone calls? Probably the only thing preventing the feds from using these recordings would be they would have to let on they have this capability.