One night in September 2022, Ukrainian army launched a drone attack We are targeting the frigate Admiral Makarov, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. As the drones approached, Ukrainian commanders suddenly realized something was wrong. Communication links with drones connected via the Starlink satellite-based internet service were not working.

At this point the mission was aborted. Some of the disconnected drones landed before exploding. Many sank into the sea or self-destructed. Ukrainian commanders reported that only two drones returned undamaged.

What could have been a dramatic victory for Ukraine was thwarted by an unlikely defender. Few knew at the time that that day was a turning point in U.S. politics regarding how money and power were used by nongovernmental actors.

When SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter (later renamed “X”) earlier that year, it was not expected to significantly impact US government policy. However, this purchase and the criticism he received for it opened the doors to a whole new world of politics for Musk. This was a world where he suddenly saw unconventional ways to leverage his wealth to influence policy. He realized he didn’t have to play by the normal pro bono rules as other wealthy political funders did.

When Ukrainian military commanders, openly backed by the US Department of Defense, requested assistance that September night, Musk refused to turn on Starlink so they could complete their attack on the Russian navy. The richest man in the world was now personally involved in international conflicts. And not only that, but he was siding with America’s enemy.

Musk later explained: “If I had accepted their wishes, then SpaceX would have been clearly complicit in a major act of war and escalation of conflict.” As a business decision, this can be understood superficially. But Musk’s action was of much greater significance: an American businessman was deciding what an ally of the United States could and could not do. Neither the Department of Defense, the White House, lawmakers, or voters had a say.

While Musk attributes his decision to his desire to preserve peace, his actions tell another story. That moon, that suggested a plan To end the war by ensuring that Ukraine cedes its territory to Russia. Naturally, Moscow praised the idea, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned it. Since then, Musk has been caught regularly promoting Russian disinformation on X. And last week Wall StreetJournal It was claimed that Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2022. The Journal reported that “talks between Musk and Putin touched on everything from business and geopolitics to personal issues.”

Taken together, it’s clear that Musk is at least sympathetic to the Russian cause. This is, of course, a major problem for US national security. Musk, a major defense contractor with top security clearance, uses his power to aid America’s enemies. Nothing is right about this.

To make matters worse, Musk has joined forces with former President Donald Trump, whose love for dictators in Russia, North Korea and elsewhere has been well documented. Musk spent more than $100 million on Trump’s presidential campaign this year alone; Much of this was through the newly formed America PAC.

The Trump-Musk alliance is a natural fit because they see their roles as similar. Just this month, Bob Woodward revealed in his new book that Trump has had as many as seven private phone calls with Putin since he left office. In recent weeks, Trump has boasted about holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, implying that he is conducting his own foreign policy separate from the current administration.

This is all incredibly dangerous and the US government should not allow this. While the rich and powerful have always had a large stake in US politics, Musk and Trump’s efforts are unique in American history. What makes them particularly malevolent is that they shape a paradigm in which billionaires are not inherently loyal to US interests. It was true that business leaders, though often unscrupulous, should never be openly hostile to the government that had made them rich in the first place. Trump and Musk herald a new, fragmented era in which government policy is potentially just one of several.

This represents a unique threat to our republic. Lawmakers on both sides need to take immediate action to protect our vital interests. We cannot hand these over to any individual, especially those with fascist tendencies and questionable loyalties like Elon Musk and Donald Trump.