By Fatma Younis
The Trump administration paid SpaceX nearly $1.2 million for Starlink services despite previously describing them as a donation, according to a Washington Post report.
Contracts detailed
SpaceX received four contracts from March 2025 to June 2026 to provide Starlink broadband to the White House Communications Agency, a military unit handling secure communications for the president.
Gift claim contradicted
The contracts total about $1.2 million, but in March 2025 White House officials said Starlink had "donated" the service, a claim vetted by the White House Counsel's Office, per a New York Times report.
Ethics concerns raised
The Democracy Defenders Fund identified three payments totaling $502,000 last week, and the Post found a fourth worth $686,000. Ethics advocates warned of pay-to-play access, noting Musk's companies have secured at least $10 billion in new government contracts since his public split with Trump.
Musk responds
Musk reacted on his X platform, referencing his election spending and "space lasers."
