Story perspectives

Trump Asked Musk to Lift Starshield Speed Caps

By Drooid · Oct 23, 2026, 2:53 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump asked Elon Musk to lift speed caps on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite service.
Elon Musk wrote that the limits are set by the U.S. military and the president.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. did not order the slowdown.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced a congressional inquiry.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said the restrictions remain unexplained.

History

Historical Context

Trump’s request that Elon Musk lift speed caps on Ukraine’s Starshield mirrors the 2016 Apple-FBI clash, when the FBI sought Apple’s help to unlock an iPhone from the December 2015 San Bernardino attack that killed 14 people. Both episodes show how U.S. authorities invoke the 1789 All Writs Act to pressure tech firms for national-security access.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump asked Elon Musk to lift speed caps on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite service.
Elon Musk wrote that the limits are set by the U.S. military and the president.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. did not order the slowdown.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced a congressional inquiry.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said the restrictions remain unexplained.

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