Musk’s self-dealing spree
Remember a few weeks ago when it appeared the State Department had set aside roughly $400 million to buy armored Teslas? Elon Musk claimed on X not to have heard about the deal. The State Department subsequently told MSNBC that the plan had actually started under the Biden administration, that Tesla had not been officially awarded any contracts, and that the entire armored vehicle initiative had been indefinitely put on hold anyway.
Now, a new document obtained by NPR complicates the situation further. According to NPR, while the Biden administration did explore whether electric vehicles could be armored for diplomatic use, it only budgeted $483,000 for light-duty EVs. Not a tiny sum, but one that pales in comparison to the $400 million the Trump administration had reportedly planned to spend on Cybertrucks before halting the contract.
Meanwhile, just this week, we learned that the Federal Aviation Administration is looking to cancel a $2.4 billion contract awarded to Verizon in 2023 and instead hand it to the Musk-owned Starlink satellite internet service. That contract was meant to modernize the FAA’s communications system — a system that seems especially critical now following a series of high-profile plane crashes. At the same time, NBC News reports nearly 300 FAA employees were fired in February as part of the DOGE-led federal government purge. If Musk is truly concerned about safety, he should focus on strengthening the FAA workforce instead of securing another massive government contract for his companies.
Musk also slammed Verizon on X, falsely claiming — without evidence — that its system was putting air travelers at risk. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports SpaceX employees, some of whom now have FAA email addresses, have been working inside the agency to push for Starlink to take over, even as senior FAA officials refuse to sign off on the change.
Super excited with @FAANews, @NATCA, and @SpaceX this week.
— Ted Malaska (@TedMalaska) February 20, 2025
Working to improve the safety of the national air space system.
Thank you @elonmusk and @POTUS for your vision and focus on safety pic.twitter.com/qhH0U6pHhV
We long knew that Musk, the world’s richest man, would put government conflict-of-interest laws to the test. But the real question isn’t how much power he has now, but how much more he will be able to grab.
A story you should be following: Trump tariffs set for Tuesday
Starting on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he will impose 25% tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico while threatening to double the existing 10% tariff on China, citing the need for our trade partners to do more to curb fentanyl smuggling.
Both Canada and Mexico have pushed back, highlighting their ongoing efforts to address drug trafficking, with Canada investing over $1 billion in border security and Mexico deploying 10,000 National Guard troops to 18 cities and towns along the U.S.-Mexico border. But so far, this has not been enough for Trump.
Economists warn these tariffs could cost U.S. consumers between $120 billion and $225 billion annually. Businesses that import car parts, medical devices, vegetables and clothing are bracing for the impact, as are industries like U.S. textile production.
And yet, according to new polling, only 32% of Trump supporters believe that implementing tariffs will cause prices to go up; 11% say they “don’t know” what the impact of tariffs on prices will be. Well, let me tell you: I think those numbers are about to change, and it may not be pretty. Thanks so much to everyone who’s tuned in to “The Blueprint” so far. On Monday, don’t miss our new episodes with Stacey Abrams and former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. Ryan, who challenged Vice President JD Vance for one of Ohio’s Senate seats in 2022, has known the vice president for years. And he didn’t hold back. Listen in to hear what he really thinks about Vance’s political ascension, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel becoming lieutenant governor, and whether or not he’s considering a gubernatorial run. Meanwhile, few people know more about rebuilding a party than Abrams. Georgia Democrats spent decades in the political wilderness before organizing — largely thanks to her — helped turn the state purple. We spoke about what lessons Democrats should take from that fight now. Subscribe here for the full conversations!
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden. Recommended
Tune in to Episodes 7 and 8 of “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” on Monday
