Sen. Ruben Gallego publicly urged Elon Musk to come forward voluntarily rather than wait for a subpoena, following reports that Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade Starlink service that Ukraine relies on for its defense operations.
Gallego Demands Answers Over Starlink Slowdowns in Ukraine
The political friction escalated after a Wall Street Journal report detailed that Musk ordered a restriction on the military version of Starlink, sparking immediate panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration. The slowdown, which began on October 14, capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected, rendering some offensive and interceptor drones virtually useless. Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment said the connection had remained below 130 kilometers per hour, hampering Ukrainian strike operations and air defenses.
Responding directly on social media, Sen. Ruben Gallego published a post at 3:53 p.m. on October 20, 2026, telling Musk he did not need to wait for a subpoena. Three days prior, on October 17, Gallego told Musk to “make sure @Starlink keeps all records and communications regarding your alliance with Russia,” and warned that subpoenas were coming, though neither his posts nor the underlying reports provided evidence of such an alliance. Gallego’s office noted that the senator previously gave his first Senate floor speech in February 2025 on a resolution condemning the U.S. vote against a United Nations measure blaming Russia for the war, during which he stated, this is a war that Russia started,
despite Senate Republicans objecting to the effort.
.@elonmusk make sure @Starlink keeps all records and communications regarding your alliance with Russia. Subpoenas are coming. I am sure the European market will want to know what happened. https://t.co/EFwPqypNDw
Musk Reacts to Potential Post-Midterm Investigations
As lawmakers eye potential hearings, Elon Musk reacted sharply to reports regarding House Democrats preparing investigative gavels should they flip the House or Senate in the upcoming midterms. Commenting on an article titled “Capitol Agenda: Dem Gavels Are Coming for Elon Musk,” Musk posted to X, writing, Live by the sword, die by the sword,
and adding, Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets …
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, under President Donald Trump with a stated effort to slash wasteful public spending, which included dismantling numerous key agencies, including the Department of Education and USAID. Kara Swisher had warned that Musk would be at the top of the investigative list if Democrats reclaim control of Congress.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets … https://t.co/L7xNa6yCm0
SpaceX Declines Comment as Lawmakers Investigate Starlink Actions
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment, and Hegseth said Tuesday that Starlink has the option to make decisions about its terms of service.
Congress has previously scrutinized Starlink in Ukraine. In 2023, then-Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) announced a probe after reports that Musk had blocked Ukrainian access near Crimea.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Sounds like Swisher really wants to go to prison.
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More on Ruben Gallego
Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities…
Some fools still think the legacy news is real. Amazing.
Sir, is this your comment to our story? https://t.co/sLsvtrcL6B
He claimed starshield wasn’t shut down. Then he claimed it was shutdown but not by his orders. Then he claimed he did shut it down. 100s of Ukrainians died. His action helped an enemy of the United States. As one of Elon’s biggest vendor we have a right to know if we can…
So it’s @elonmusk that made the decision? This is why we have to subpoena the DOD, Starlink and Elon to get to the bottom of this. https://t.co/4sK9oriWgq
.@elonmusk you don’t have to wait for a subpoena, you can just come in on your own. https://t.co/UeZbc43mln