“They could use that to launch nukes at America” - Elon Musk gets honest with Joe Rogan about irony of Justice Department “attacking” Space X
Elon Musk recently told Joe Rogan that his organization, SpaceX, is being trapped in a troublesome situation due to the Justice Department. The 53-year-old appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) earlier this week, where he said that the Justice Department's primary problem lies with the recruitment system of SpaceX.
The pair discussed several issues during the episode, including COVID-19. Musk also spoke to Rogan about SpaceX being considered an organization equipped with advanced weapons technology.
Musk mentioned that his organization was covered by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) due to its capacity to manufacture rockets, which can be a huge threat to the US if it goes into the wrong hands. The X CEO said:
"Well, SpaceX is considered an advanced weapons technology. It is covered by the ITAR because we make rocket technology that can be used against the US. It's like if North Korea or Iran got SpaceX's rocket technology, they could use that to launch nukes at America."
Check out Elon Musk's comments below (17:43):
Musk also told Rogan how a rule of ITAR prevents him from hiring non-US citizens as it wants to restrict the leaking of SpaceX's technology:
"So, since we’re in the most extreme category of weapons technology, under US ITAR law, it’s illegal to hire anyone who is not a permanent resident of the US. Because there's a presumption that if they're not a US citizen, they're gonna return to their home country and take the rocket technology with them." [18:02]
However, Musk says he had to pay the price for abiding by this rule as the Department of Justice filed lawsuits against SpaceX for excluding American asylum seekers from their recruitment:
"The DOJ is attacking [has filed lawsuits against] SpaceX for not hiring asylum seekers. Even though it is legal for SpaceX to hire anyone who is not a permanent resident of the US." [17:16]
Joe Rogan lauds the changes Elon Musk brought to X
Elon Musk's acquisition of X, then Twitter, in 2022 formed massive headlines all around the world. In the aforementioned JRE episode, Joe Rogan mentioned how he was pleased to know about Musk's $44 billion takeover of the social media platform.
Rogan also appreciated the changes Musk made on the platform after taking over. The 57-year-old laid special stress on how the Tesla head honcho's judicious removal of censorship has promoted the freedom of speech and information:
"If it wasn't for you buying that and changing Twitter, I don't think we'd be where we're at right now. I think it was a pivotal moment. I think, historically, when people look back on it, it's going to be a pivotal moment in this very bizarre fight for the freedom of information." [1:51:00]