Over the past few months, questions have been raised about former US President Donald Trumpâs extensive connections to foreign countries and entities, particularly in the Middle East. Now, under the Biden administration, these issues continue to persist with the administrationâs increased scrutiny of one of Trumpâs closest advisors, tech mogul Elon Musk.
Musk is known for his involvement in numerous companies and projects, such as Tesla Inc. and SpaceX. In early 2021, the Biden White House began to examine Muskâs international business ties that could potentially pose a threat to national security. Musk has pledged to abide by all US laws and regulations in regard to his activities abroad, citing his track record of ethical business practices.
One of the foreign entities of particular concern for the Biden Administration is Saudi Arabia, with which Musk reportedly has a close relationship. A recent Bloomberg report stated that Musk had set up an unnamed private company in the Middle Eastern country, and there have been reports of possible secret investments made by the Saudi government in Tesla under Muskâs tenure. Additionally, Tesla has come under fire for developing a fully automated factory in Shanghai, China, potentially giving the country access to sensitive US manufacturing technology.
The Biden administration is now examining the potential security implications of Muskâs activities with foreign entities, pushing for greater scrutiny and assurance that Muskâs foreign ties comply with US laws and regulations, particularly in the areas of counterintelligence and geopolitics. It also ordering Tesla to disclose to the public all of its investments and development projects in China, as well as its partnerships with foreign companies.
Elon Musk has consistently maintained that his international business activities are in line with all applicable US laws and regulations, and that his involvement in foreign countries is solely for the purpose of advancing his companiesâ goals. However, with the Biden administrationâs increased scrutiny of his ties to foreign entities, Muskâs activities are sure to come under further scrutiny in the future. As the Biden administration works to make sure that the USâs national security interests are not compromised, they will be carefully monitoring Muskâs foreign interactions.
