U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has specifically directed State Department officials to pressure countries challenged by President Donald Trump’s global tariff war to approve deals with Starlink, the satellite internet company led by top Trump donor Elon Musk, according to an exclusive Washington Post report.
“As the government of Lesotho negotiates a trade deal with the United States, it hopes that licensing Starlink demonstrates goodwill and intent to welcome U.S. businesses,” an internal State Department memo obtained by the Post states.
Lesotho is one of more than a half-dozen nations that have approved or are in the process of approving deals with Starlink in efforts to fend off President Trump’s tariffs. There are two distribution deals in India, and “at least partial accommodations with Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam,” likely among others.
One State Department cable signed by Secretary Rubio was an “action request” that cited Starlink “by name” and argued that “U.S. government advocacy is essential to maintain and extend their global ‘first-mover’ advantage.”
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The documents that the Post obtained “do not show that the Trump team has explicitly demanded favors for Starlink in exchange for lower tariffs.” But the direct pressure campaign comes “at a moment when the White House is calling for wide-ranging talks on trade.”
One of the people briefed by officials in India told the Post, “It’s not likely to be an explicit element of the trade negotiations with the U.S., but the Indian side sees this as an important lubricant that facilitates a deal.”
The U.S. Department of State did not appear to deny efforts to support and promote Starlink.
“Starlink is an American-made product that has been game-changing in helping remote areas around the world gain internet connectivity,” the State Dept. said in a statement. “Any patriotic American should want to see an American company’s success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors.”
Growing adoption of Musk’s Starlink had not previously gone unnoticed.
Last week, in a letter to President Trump, Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into Elon Musk’s Starlink deals, accusing the billionaire of “the possibility of self-dealing” while in government, NBC News reported. “13 senators led by Mark Warner, D-Va., wrote that Starlink seemed to make sudden breakthroughs this year in at least five countries that previously resisted giving the company footholds there.”
The lawmakers alleged that “Musk is reportedly taking advantage of his government role to coerce concessions from foreign governments for his own benefit, including unfettered market access as well as contracts with his companies, in exchange for favorable treatment by the U.S. government.”
And last month, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow (video below), citing a Wall Street Journal report, noted that “Vietnam has been trying to fend off harsh treatment under Trump’s tariffs by number one, buying American jets. Number two, allowing the Starlink Internet service that’s owned by Donald Trump’s top campaign donor, Elon Musk, to operate inside their country.”
“And number three, here’s the kicker: Vietnam also ‘decided to accelerate the approvals for a $1.5 billion Trump resort in Vietnam.'”
Meanwhile, critics are speaking out over the State Department’s reported role.
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“More evidence of President Trump’s soft corruption,” claimed the X account for Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats. “Trump is using his power to enrich himself and his friends — allowing Elon Musk to use the State Department as a salesforce for Starlink globally.”
The X account for House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats added, “And there it is. Trump is telling Americans to pay more and buy less because of his reckless tariffs, @SecRubio is apparently leveraging them to make Elon Musk richer. This looks like one big grift for Trump and his MAGA billionaire backers.”
The Atlantic’s David Frum remarked: “The second Trump administration is the most corrupt presidency in American history, more corrupt than the next runner-up: the first Trump administration.”
“This is a huge new scandal,” alleged U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX). “Trump and Musk are using tariffs as leverage to get other countries to buy from Musk’s companies. Working families pay $4,000+ more a year so Musk gets new deals. They get richer. Everyone else gets screwed.”
“Everything is a shake down,” charged former prosecutor, public defender, and Democratic Media consultant David Doak.
“This is what a corrupt oligarchy looks like,” wrote Melanie D’Arrigo, VP of legislation for the NY National Organization for Women.
Public Citizen, the progressive consumer advocacy group and think tank, wrote that “Trump is using official trade policy to promote Musk’s satellite business Starlink. This is a glaring conflict of interest. Government policy should be designed to benefit the American people, not abused for personal tech bro profiteering.”
“Corruption pure and simple!” exclaimed Michael Nelson, a self-described tech policy wonk.
“Clearly the best way for countries to evade tariffs is by licensing Starlink and paying for it in Trump meme coins,” snarked The Bulwark’s Sam Stein.
Jonathan Cohn, the policy director for the nonprofit Progressive Mass called it “shameless mob-boss corruption.”
Watch the video below or at this link.
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