“I’m With Elon” – Gavin Newsom Says Following SpaceX Lawsuit

In an interview, California Gov. Gavin Newsom backed Elon Musk in his dispute with the state’s agency that blocked a plan to increase SpaceX rocket launches off the Pacific coast.

“The California Coastal Commission rejected the U.S. Air Force’s plans that permitted SpaceX to launch up to 50 rockets per year from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County,” 100 Percent Fed Up previously reported.

“I’m with Elon,” Newsom told the outlet.

“I didn’t like that,” he added.

“I’m With Elon”: Gavin Newsom Unexpectedly Backs SpaceX In California Lawsuit Against Rogue Democrats  https://t.co/V8KRSsJ2Hv

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 19, 2024

POLITICO reports:

Musk sued the California Coastal Commission on Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, alleging it “engaged in naked political discrimination” when commissioners cited his support for former President Donald Trump in rejecting a Department of Defense proposal to expand the number of SpaceX launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

“Look, I’m not helping the legal case,” Newsom acknowledged. He added, “You can’t bring up that explicit level of politics.”

Newsom indicated he broadly agreed with the lawsuit and that the independent agency should have confined its debate to the merits of the permit rather than engage in a discussion of Musk’s political activities.

“These are friends of mine that said that,” said Newsom, who appoints some of the members. “These are good commissioners. But you got to call balls and strikes. And trust me, I’m not big on the Elon Musk bandwagon right now. So that’s me calling balls and strikes.”

‘I’m with Elon’: Newsom sides with Musk over California agency on SpaceX launches https://t.co/IxEF0DjXXc

— POLITICO (@politico) October 18, 2024

Per Zero Hedge:

Newsom sided with SpaceX in the lawsuit and pointed out that an independent agency should have been involved, politics aside, in the decision-making process for rocket launches at the base.

Newsom understands that, unlike many Democrats, SpaceX has become a critical part of national security rocket programs. In fact, Musk’s rocket company is quite literally America’s space program in terms of space launches and total mass catapulted into low Earth Orbit. SpaceX will even rescue Boeing’s stranded crew at the International Space Station early next year.

Using data from BryceTech, SpaceX launched 525 spacecraft into orbit in the first quarter, far outpacing China and Russia.

Musk is America’s rocket program: SpaceX launched about 429,125 kg of spacecraft upmass in the first quarter, significantly outpacing China’s rocket program (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation), which launched a measly 29,426 kg.

Much of this is due to SpaceX’s Starlink deployment in LEO, as thousands of these satellites provide high-speed internet coverage to millions of customers worldwide.

WATCH:

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

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