Trump says he’s spoken to Musk about getting Starlink for areas damaged by Helene

Former President Trump on Monday said he’s spoken with Elon Musk about providing Starlink internet service for those without power in states ravaged by Hurricane Helene.

Trump visited Valdosta, Ga., where he toured storm damage and expressed support for those dealing with the aftermath. The former president indicated he would also visit North Carolina, which was battered by the hurricane in recent days as well.

“To every family that’s been displaced here in Georgia and in North Carolina, which has really been hit. We’re going there also. They don’t have communication, they don’t have anything right now,” Trump said. 

“I just spoke to Elon … we want to get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever. Elon will always come through. We know that,” Trump added. “We’re working on that getting them hooked up. We’re going to try and get the Starlink in there as soon as possible.”

Musk is the founder of SpaceX, which operates Starlink satellites. Musk has endorsed Trump in the 2024 campaign.

Trump vowed to be with those affected “as long as you need.”

“The end result is it’s going to be good,” Trump said.

A Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) fact sheet published Monday stated that 40 Starlink satellite systems were available to help first responders with communications, and 140 more satellites were being shipped to assist with communications to restore infrastructure.

Helene made landfall Thursday in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing with it devastating winds and rainfall. Roughly 100 people have been killed across several states, The Associated Press reported, and millions have been left without power.

Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee in November’s election, cut short her West Coast campaign swing to return to Washington on Monday for a briefing on the storm at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters. Harris is expected to tour storm damage in the coming days once it’s no longer a strain on local resources.

President Biden has spoken with state and local officials in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and the federal government has deployed thousands of workers to help provide resources and coordinate the response to the storm. 

The White House has also issued emergency declarations for states affected by the storm to help expedite resources. Biden on Monday said Congress may need to return to approve supplemental funding for storm recovery efforts.

During Trump’s visit to Georgia, he criticized Biden’s response to the storm.

“The governor’s doing a very good job,” Trump said of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R). “He’s having a hard time getting the president on the phone. Federal government is not being responsive.”

But Kemp said Sunday he had spoken to Biden about the aftermath of the hurricane.

“He offered that if there’s other things we need, just to call him directly, which, I appreciate that,” Kemp said of Biden.

Updated at 3:26 p.m.