SpaceX CEO Elon Musk slammed President Biden after he ignored the company’s first successful civilian voyage.
Last month, SpaceX — which is known for disrupting the space industry by creating reusable rocket boosters — sent four civilian astronauts on a three-day trip to space. The mission was the first flight to orbit Earth with an exclusively civilian crew — and it had the goal of drawing $200 million in funding for St. Jude’s Research Hospital.
The initiative, however, received no recognition from President Biden. One of Musk’s followers on Twitter asked: “The President of the United States has refused to even acknowledge the 4 newest American astronauts who helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for St. Jude. What’s your theory on why that is?”
“He’s still sleeping,” Musk responded.
He’s still sleeping
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2021
The Biden administration’s apparent refusal to acknowledge the mission comes after it snubbed Tesla, which Musk also leads, by not inviting it to an electric vehicle summit — because the firm does not have unionized workers.
Executives from General Motors, Ford, and other companies joined President Biden at the White House as he announced a reversal of “the previous administration’s short-sighted rollback of vehicle emissions and efficiency standards.” News outlets — and Musk himself — were surprised that Tesla, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, was not invited.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked if Tesla was omitted because it is not unionized. She said that attendees included “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers,” adding that she would let reporters “draw your own conclusions.”
Indeed, President Biden praised the United Auto Workers during his remarks at the event:
We need automakers and other companies to keep investing in America. We need them not to take the benefits of our public investments and expand electric vehicles and battery manufacturing production abroad. We need you to deepen your partnership with the UAW, continue to pay good wages, support local communities across the country.
That’s why I’m so proud the UAW is standing here today as well. It’s why I am proud that the three largest employers are sitting here and their sights are set not only on electric vehicles, but on expansion — expanding union jobs, expanding the middle class. It matters.
One electric vehicle YouTuber noted on Twitter that Musk could have a seat at the table if he had “moved Tesla manufacturing to Mexico like Ford did.”
“Apparently good paying American jobs, making 100% Electric vehicles isn’t enough to be shown as an example of how other manufacturers should behave?” he continued.
Musk replied: “Irony indeed.”