'Appalling!' Critics aghast as Elon Musk wins new government contract

Concern over Elon Musk's increasing power in Washington, D.C. is growing rapidly now that the Federal Aviation Administration plans to use the billionaire's SpaceX’s Starlink to upgrade its networks.

The FAA posted on X Monday night, "This week, the FAA is testing one terminal at its facility in Atlantic City and two terminals at non-safety critical sites in Alaska."

The news comes as Musk's Department of Government Efficiency plans to make staffing cuts at the FAA, which has many observers crying foul. This isn't Musk's first potential conflict of interest, however. There's plenty of government interplay with Musk's other companies, including Tesla, Neuralink, and SpaceX.

CNN pundit S.E. Cupp recounted on Tuesday how Musk "reportedly fired a bunch of workers at the FDA that were looking at his Neuralink program" for possible approval.

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"So, yes, he's got his hands in a lot of pots," Cupp continued. "And it's not just that he stands to gain financially; it's that he's overseeing agencies that are regulating his businesses, which is a little like, you know the old saying, ... making the arsonist the fire chief — but also head of HR, head of accounting — and then awarding him a contract for accelerants, is kind of like what all of this is."

Host Dana Bash added, "It just reminds me of the game I like to play: What if this was George Soros, right? And Barack Obama or Joe Biden doing all of this."

On Musk's social media platform X, users pointed out about what Cupp called, "all of these obvious conflicts."

Liberal pundit @ArtCandee posted, "The FAA has agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to manage US airspace. Yet another contract for Elon Musk to profit from while he's slashing funding for others. The conflict of interest is appalling!"

Media outlet @TheTNHoller wrote, "Wild. Bond villain stuff. Conflict of interest doesn’t even begin to describe this. The national security concerns here are off the charts."

Watch the clip below via CNN.