Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who is now central to Donald Trump’s election campaign, has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin for the past two years, according to a report in the US.

The Wall Street Journal, citing several in-post and former US, European and Russian officials, reported that the conversations between the two men ranged from the personal to the geopolitical and included a request from the Russian leader not to activate his Starlink ​​satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to the Chinese leader and Putin ally, Xi Jinping.

  • @skeptomatic@lemmy.ca
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    135 hours ago

    Wouldn’t surprise me if Putin is deploying underage honey-trapping on these guys like Trump/Elon/Tucker/etc., covertly filming it, and then blackmail owning them thereafter.

    • @yemmly@lemmy.world
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      29 minutes ago

      If he wasn’t the richest being in the known universe, he’d be fighting an indictment right now.

    • Dem Bosain
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      219 minutes ago

      Why yes there is, from the 19th century. But it’s not about abortion, so surely is unenforceable.

  • Justin
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    13 hours ago

    Isn’t this espionage/treason? He has security clearance, he should not have contact with foreign government officials or sabotage our allies.

    • subignition
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      5112 hours ago

      Death penalty for treason would be a fitting end to Musk’s story, I think. It doesn’t look like anyone has gotten a death sentence under federal treason laws since the Civil War, though.

      The terms used in the definition derive from English legal tradition, specifically the Treason Act 1351. Levying war means the assembly of armed people to overthrow the government or to resist its laws. Enemies are subjects of a foreign government that is in open hostility with the United States.[6] Treason does not distinguish between participants and accessories; all persons who rebel or intentionally give aid to hostilities are subject to the same charge. source

      Russia might not meet the bar for “open hostility”, I’m not sure how that is defined. This layman sure as hell thinks Trump and the January 6 mob fall into the definition of ‘levying war’ though. And interestingly a conviction of treason also forfeits your right to hold public office, even if your punishment is prison instead of death

  • IninewCrow
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    6512 hours ago

    A billionaire might have done something illegal and possibly treasonous?

    I wonder if anyone will follow through on this.

    • Tiefling IRL
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      76 hours ago

      I’m sure Trump will follow through with a pardon as he hands the US to Russia

    • @TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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      711 hours ago

      I would understand it if Musk was in anyway threatening. But he’s obviously a child trying to sit at the adult table. All anyone has to do is insult him at grade school level and he flinches.

      Him and most of the other wackos right now are like Bond villain D tier henchmen. How is no one taking these morons down? Is this really how the people in power cave, by letting these fools run free?

      • IninewCrow
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        3511 hours ago

        As silly as it sounds … there was a similar argument for the National Socialist Party in Germany in the 1930s. Many people thought they were a joke and weren’t taken seriously at first.

        Put enough money, finances and marketing behind a movement no matter how insane it is and it can quickly go out of control.

        What people don’t realize is that it is money and finance that make these movements possible. They don’t just appear out of thin air through the force of one personality or the cult following of one person. It takes money to sell an idea and the more money you spend on it, the bigger the idea will become. These nut jobs are being funnelled millions of dollars either directly or indirectly to spread their garbage. Part of the problem is the insane personality that everyone glorifies … the greatest problem are the millionaires and billionaires and corporations that fund these idiots to push their own agenda from the background.

  • @tacosanonymous@lemm.ee
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    7113 hours ago

    So combined with his interjection into politics, wouldn’t this be two serious crimes he’s committed?

  • Flying SquidM
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    7813 hours ago

    Someone remind me what happened involving Musk almost exactly two years ago… I’m pretty sure something relevant happened on October 28, 2022… I remember a little bird chirping in my ear…

    • Riddick3001OP
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      13 hours ago

      And, I even wonder if anyone would be surprised by this news.

    • Flying SquidM
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      2411 hours ago

      Apparently, in the 21st century, you can violate the Logan Act as much as you like.

  • Kokesh
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    1111 hours ago

    His businesses should be barred from getting any kind of government contracts. ISS would be hard, but definitely no army contracts, etc.

  • Avid Amoeba
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    1413 hours ago

    Implications for the ongoing election as well as the war in Ukraine. Starlink comms likely provide important intelligence that Putin could use.

  • don
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    513 hours ago

    lol sure okay next you be telling me water usually seeks it lowest point and makes most things it touches wet 🤡