"If we stop launching rockets, producing satellites or electric vehicles, our country could save a lot of money."

When Trump made this statement on social media, threatening to cut ties between the U.S. government and Elon Musk's SpaceX, it was during his previous verbal clash with Musk. At that time, Musk strongly opposed Trump's "Big and Beautiful Act," which eventually led Trump to get angry and directly say on social media, "Musk should go back to South Africa," clearly stating:

"Elon has received more subsidies than anyone in history. Without subsidies, Elon might have had to shut down and return to South Africa."

"If we stop launching rockets, producing satellites or electric vehicles, our country could save a lot of money."

This was not just a simple verbal battle. Trump's decision to cut off Space X shocked Washington, as well as the Pentagon and NASA.

White House Secret Review: Can Space X Contracts Really Be Cut?

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal: After the president's remarks, a senior official from the General Services Administration (GSA) ordered the Department of Defense to complete a detailed list of all Space X contracts and agreements, preparing the data for review by the White House.

NASA also received the same instructions: to assess whether there are other aerospace companies that can replace Space X in completing the same tasks, even at a lower cost. In an instant, the atmosphere between the Pentagon, NASA, and the White House became extremely tense. The Pentagon's conclusion was clear: Space X is indispensable for America's space security and international status.

NASA is highly integrated with Space X

The facts indeed confirm this:

  • SpaceX almost monopolizes the rocket launch and low Earth orbit satellite market
  • Boeing, Lockheed, and other aerospace giants have repeatedly failed in technology, unable to keep up with Musk's pace
  • Especially, the Dragon crew spacecraft of Space X is currently the only certified spacecraft in the United States that can regularly travel to and from the International Space Station

Musk's Counterattack: Threatening to Retire the Dragon Crew Capsule

Facing pressure from the White House, Musk did not back down. He warned about retiring the Dragon crew capsule, which would almost leave NASA without any available spacecraft. If Musk actually retires the Dragon crew capsule, it would be a major blow to the U.S. government.

Dragon Crew Capsule

The "Dragon" is currently the only certified manned spacecraft in the United States capable of regular round trips to the International Space Station. Without the "Dragon" spacecraft, NASA would have to rely on Russia's "Soyuz" or China's "Shenzhou" spacecraft, meaning that the independence of American manned spaceflight on the International Space Station would almost disappear.

In addition, the "Dragon" is also an important platform for some sensitive scientific research missions and space military cooperation in the United States. If Musk really decides to retire the Dragon crew capsule, it would not only catch NASA off guard but also affect the entire defense and space strategy—this is the biggest leverage that Musk holds, enough to make the president hesitate.

Earlier this year, two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were originally scheduled to take Boeing's Starliner for a one-week mission, but due to technical failures, they were stranded at the International Space Station for 286 days. Finally, it was the Space X's Dragon crew capsule that brought them back to Earth. This made NASA realize more deeply that losing Space X would almost mean giving up manned spaceflight.

The Dragon spacecraft brought back two NASA astronauts

Finally, despite completely clashing with Trump, Space X still secured a major contract in 2025: which includes a $5.9 billion contract to execute 28 national security missions; launching GPS satellites for the Space Force, and preparing to send new astronauts to the International Space Station a few weeks later.

Starlink's Game: The President Wants to Cut It, but the Military Can't Do Without It

In the ongoing confrontation between Trump and Musk, there is another strategic player: Starlink.

Starlink

Starlink is a global satellite internet network built by SpaceX. As of 2025, it has over 6,000 satellites in orbit, covering more than 60 countries and regions. Not only does it have a large number of commercial users, but it has also become a crucial geopolitical tool for the U.S. government: from communication support on the battlefield in Ukraine to the layout against China in the Asia-Pacific region, Starlink has played an irreplaceable role.

Especially in the contracts of the Department of Defense and the Space Force, the low-orbit satellite communication capabilities of Starlink have been listed as a key part, used to support front-line troops' battlefield data transmission and drone control systems. Currently, the U.S. has no other equivalent scale and technological maturity alternative solutions.

Musk also understands this well. Although he openly mocked the "Big and Beautiful Act" and even threatened to form a new political party to challenge Trump, he never truly threatened to cut off Starlink services. On the contrary, whenever the White House and the Department of Defense worried about risks, SpaceX's President Gwen Shottwell would step in to reassure: Starlink will continue to prioritize serving U.S. national security missions.

More subtly, the commercial profits of Starlink and government contracts are closely connected: the Department of Defense has paid SpaceX for some encrypted frequency bands for special operations and command communications, and these orders support Musk's global expansion of the Starlink network. In other words, Trump wants to cut Musk's money, but this money is essentially the communication vessel supporting the U.S. military's global operations.

Therefore, even though the two are clashing on social media, the White House secretly initiated a review, and the final answer from the Pentagon is still just one sentence: without Space X, there would be no U.S. dominance in low orbit today; without Starlink, the U.S. would lose its voice in future digital warfare fields.

An Inevitable Relationship: Mutual Dependence, Yet Mutual Hostility

This is Musk's real card: his company controls the entire chain from rockets to satellites, and even to the network, making Trump want to punish him, yet he cannot help but rely on him.

Behind this personal grudge is a complex combination of national strategy and commercial interests: Trump wants to strike Musk, but Space X is indispensable for national security missions. Musk wants to challenge Trump, but still relies on government contracts to sustain his rocket and aerospace projects.

This is a typical American paradox: personal grudges, party struggles, commercial interests, and national strategies intertwine, and no one can completely disengage.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7529393648081945097/

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