President Donald Trump brushed off questions Friday about the part Elon Musk played in disruptions to a satellite system that Ukraine's drones rely on in the fight against Russia. Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House. 1
Elon will never do anything wrong
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that service from Starshield remained slow. Starshield is SpaceX's military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service. 1
The disruption produced speed restrictions on Ukrainian drones. Those drones have been unable to intercept Russia's jet-powered drones. 1
Trump will not say who ordered the limits
Trump said he had not heard that there are still problems with the service. He also declined to comment on who ordered the restrictions. 1
From Channel GOPTrump says he alone decides who gets paidDonald Trump · 135 plays · captioned, with the source named
I wouldn't tell you if I did know.
The Hill reported that Trump said he had not spoken to Musk about the decision to restrict Starlink access for Ukraine. He said he might have to, and that he would if access is not restored. 2
That account sits uneasily with reporting by The Wall Street Journal. The Journal reported that Trump called Musk to ask him to remove restrictions on Starshield. Officials told the paper that Trump aired his frustration that the system's speeds were still capped. The Journal had also reported earlier that Musk directed the shutdown. 2
Trump did not confirm the call. "Well, I don't want to say, but I know it was a very interesting situation," he told reporters. "I don't want to comment one way or the other." He also said he had heard the problem was fixed. Zelenskyy's statement on Friday says otherwise. 12
Why it matters
The pattern here is a president who will not say who controls a communications tool that Ukraine uses in its defense. He is also vouching for the private businessman who owns it. Trump did not say whether the government has any way to override Musk. Nothing in the reporting we reviewed answers that question.
What happens next is unclear. Trump said he would talk to Musk if the problem is not fixed. Reporters are likely to keep asking who gave the order, and whether the White House has pressed Musk to lift the limits. 2
The Record
Sources
- PBS NewsHour, “WATCH: Trump defends Musk on Starlink disturbances, says he'll 'never do anything wrong'” (2026-10-23). pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-defends-musk-on-starli
- The Hill, “Trump denies speaking to Musk about Starlink, but says he will if it's not fixed” (2026-10-23). thehill.com/homenews/administration/6168388-trump-discusses-
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