Trump Claims Credit for Starlink Deployment in Hurricane Helene Relief, But FEMA Had Already Acted

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which brought devastating landslides, heavy rainfall, and deadly flash flooding to North Carolina, former President Donald Trump has been at the center of a controversy involving the deployment of Starlink satellites. Trump claimed he had spoken with Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, to arrange for the deployment of Starlink satellites to areas affected by the hurricane.

At an event in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump stated that he had discussed the deployment of Starlink with Musk, emphasizing the need for communication services in the affected areas. 'I just spoke to Elon. We want to get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever. And Elon will always come through. We know that,' Trump said. However, this claim has been disputed by the White House and FEMA, who indicated that the decision to deploy Starlink satellites had already been made.

According to FEMA, the decision to send Starlink satellites to North Carolina was made on Sunday, a day before Trump's public statement. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell had authorized the deployment of 40 Starlink satellite systems to assist with responder communications, with an additional 140 satellites being sent to help restore communication infrastructure. White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates highlighted this in a post on X, stating, 'This is already happening,' and linking to FEMA's statement.

Despite Trump's assertion, it is clear that the federal government had already coordinated with SpaceX to deploy the Starlink satellites. Elon Musk himself confirmed this in a post on X, where he mentioned that SpaceX had sent as many Starlink terminals as possible to help areas in need. Musk also acknowledged that Trump had alerted him to additional people needing Starlink internet in North Carolina, but this was after the initial deployment had been planned.

The deployment of Starlink satellites is crucial for the relief efforts in North Carolina, where the lack of communication services has hindered response and rescue operations. The hurricane has resulted in over 130 deaths and hundreds of people still missing, with power outages affecting more than 1.6 million customers in the US Southeast.

State Senator Danny Britt of North Carolina also played a role in coordinating the Starlink deployment. Britt, who has close ties to western North Carolina, worked with North Carolina Emergency Director William Ray and an assistant of President Trump to formalize a state request for additional Starlink terminals. This effort was aimed at providing high-speed internet access to first responders and affected residents, facilitating communication between people and their families.

The Starlink system, developed by SpaceX, provides high-speed, low-latency internet access and is designed to operate in various settings, including homes, boats, and on-the-go. This technology is particularly valuable in disaster scenarios where traditional communication infrastructure is damaged or unavailable. For more information on satellite internet and its applications, see the Wikipedia page on satellite internet.

In summary, while Trump claimed to have initiated the deployment of Starlink satellites, it is evident that FEMA and the federal government had already taken action to address the communication needs in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

Learn More at Direct Post.