Retired Lt. General Russel L. Honoré Sounds Alarm on Elon Musk’s Potential Security Risk as Trump Advisor
Retired Lt. General Russel L. Honoré has sounded the alarm on Elon Musk’s potential security risk as a close advisor to President-elect Donald Trump. In an op-ed piece published in the New York Times, Honoré expresses concern that Musk’s business ventures are heavily reliant on China, and that he may be beholden to the country due to massive loans he received from the Chinese government.
Honoré cites comments made by Vivek Ramaswamy, co-leader of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, who appeared to believe that Musk would do the bidding of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Ramaswamy later walked back his comments, but Honoré argues that his concerns were valid.
Honoré notes that Musk’s business ventures are heavily reliant on China, and that he borrowed at least $1.4 billion from banks controlled by the Chinese government to help build Tesla’s Shanghai gigafactory. He argues that China’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.
Honoré also expresses concern that Musk’s wealth and influence, combined with his close relationships with global leaders, including those from America’s fiercest enemies, pose a significant national security risk. He argues that the lack of background checks and oversight surrounding Musk’s role as a close advisor to Trump is alarming, particularly given that Musk has never received a single American vote.
Honoré concludes by urging Trump and his appointees to take action to address the national security risks posed by Musk’s position, stating that “there is too much at stake to ignore what’s right in front of them.”