The declare: SpaceX blew up a Starlink satellite tv for pc to cowl up election rigging
A Nov. 10 Threads put up (direct link, archive link) claims SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladmir Putin conspired to rig the 2024 presidential election.
“Trump cheats at the whole lot in life,” the put up reads. “Putin interfered in previous 3 elections. Musk & Trump speak to Putin rather a lot. Musk’s Starlink uploaded votes in swing states. Swing state voters went Dem down-ballot however Trump on the prime? Unikely (sic). Starlink satellites exploding, destroying proof.”
The put up was reposted greater than 300 occasions in 4 days.
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Our score: False
There isn’t a proof that any votes have been “uploaded,” that the election was rigged or {that a} SpaceX satellite tv for pc was destroyed as a part of a cover-up. SpaceX routinely destroys satellites earlier than they develop into uncontrollable, and voting machines in swing states weren’t related to the web.
No proof of election fraud, officers say
After Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election on Nov. 6, each President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris publicly accepted the election outcomes and referred to as for a peaceable transition of energy. Regardless of this, not everyone seems to be satisfied the election was legit.
However the concept Musk rigged the election or blew up a satellite tv for pc to cowl up election interference is baseless.
Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company, stated in a Nov. 6 statement that there was “no proof of any malicious exercise that had a fabric influence on the safety or integrity of our election infrastructure.”
And it’s unclear how Starlink, Musk’s satellite-based web service firm, may very well be used to rig an election. The seven battleground states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – all have legal guidelines or insurance policies that bar voting gear from being related to the web throughout voting, if in any respect.
Dominion Voting Techniques, a frequent goal of misinformation, says its machines are designed to not be connected to the internet.
Starlink is occasionally used to transmit unofficial election results in some locations with out dependable broadband connections. However almost each poll may have a paper document that can be utilized to confirm election outcomes, in accordance with The Associated Press.
A Starlink satellite tv for pc was seen breaking apart over the western U.S. on Nov. 10, however there isn’t a proof the satellite tv for pc was destroyed to cowl something up. SpaceX routinely deorbits satellites to destroy these which can be “recognized to be at an elevated threat of turning into non-maneuverable.” The corporate has taken greater than 400 Starlink satellites out of fee in such a fashion and has plans to decommission greater than 100 further satellites within the coming months.
Reality test: Viral declare CBS Information accused Donald Trump of dishonest is baseless
The put up’s different claims are additionally largely based mostly on conjecture and lack context.
For instance, the declare of Russian makes an attempt to intervene in elections is correct, in accordance with intelligence companies. Federal investigations have proven makes an attempt by Russia to intervene with the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, however these efforts seem to have been targeted on shaping voter habits by means of Election Day bomb threats and the unfold of misinformation and hacked supplies. Not one of the opinions cited an effort to change the outcomes from the votes that have been forged.
It is unclear how typically, if in any respect, Trump talks with Putin. Journalist Bob Woodward claims Trump spoke with Putin as many as seven occasions after leaving workplace, citing an nameless Trump aide. However each Trump’s marketing campaign and the Kremlin have denied this declare, in accordance with Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal reported in October that Musk was in “common contact” with Putin in recent times. Musk stated he solely had one name with Putin however ridiculed the suggestion he was supporting Russia in a post on X, whereas the Kremlin confirmed only one name between the lads, in accordance with the report.
And the put up’s concentrate on split-ticket voting as proof of fraud is baseless, as there may be nothing inherently suspicious about it. The U.S. has a long-documented historical past of ticket-splitting, although it has become less common in recent times because the nation has develop into extra polarized. Democratic candidates distancing themselves from among the unpopular positions of Biden and Harris and a scarcity of enthusiasm for down-ballot Republicans in some races contributed to Democrats successful 4 Senate seats and a governorship in states Trump received on election night time, USA TODAY reported.
USA TODAY couldn’t attain the social media consumer sharing the declare for remark.
PolitiFact and Lead Stories additionally debunked variations of this declare.
Our fact-check sources
- SpaceX, accessed Nov. 11, Commitment to Space Sustainability
- Division of Homeland Safety, Nov. 6, Statement from CISA Director Easterly on the Security of the 2024 Elections
- U.S. Home of Representatives Committee on Home Administration, Sept. 11, Hearing on “Looking Ahead to the 2024 General Election”
- North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed Nov. 11, 10 Facts About Election Security in North Carolina
- Nevada Secretary of State, accessed Nov. 11, Voting System Testing and Security
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, accessed Nov. 11, Election Security in Pennsylvania
- Michigan Bureau of Elections, accessed Nov. 11, Election Security Best Practices
- State of Arizona, accessed Nov. 11, How we secure Arizona’s elections
- Georgia Secretary of State, accessed Nov. 11, Elections FAQ
- Wisconsin Elections Fee, accessed Nov. 11, Voting Equipment Security
- USA TODAY, Nov. 9, Why did Democrats win Senate races in so many states Trump received? Ticket splitters
- USA TODAY, Nov. 5, Russia blamed for bomb threats at polling websites throughout 5 swing states
- USA TODAY, Oct. 8, Trump spoke with Putin as many as 7 occasions after leaving workplace, new e-book experiences
- USA TODAY, March 16, 2021, Russia, Iran aimed to sway 2020 election by means of covert campaigns, US intelligence experiences
- USA TODAY, April 21, 2020, Senate committee backs intelligence companies’ findings that Russia meddled in 2016 election
- KFSN-TV, Nov. 11, Tulare County sees larger voter turnout during 2024 presidential election
- Wall Road Journal, up to date Oct. 25, Elon Musk’s Secret Conversations With Vladimir Putin
- Reuters, Oct. 9, Kremlin says Trump sent COVID tests to Russia, denies report of Putin calls
- Elon Musk, Oct. 25, X post
- Related Press, Oct. 9, Voting systems are targets of conspiracy theories, but get tested for accuracy and security
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( headline and story edited by our employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
