Scott Galloway, a professor at New York University and host of the "Prof G Podcast," has labeled Elon Musk a "traitor to the West," drawing a parallel between the SpaceX CEO and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed for espionage in the Cold War.
Galloway's remarks, made on his podcast and reiterated on "Pivot" with Kara Swisher, stem from reports that SpaceX restricted Starlink satellite internet speeds in Ukraine, reportedly disrupting Ukrainian military operations. He likened this action to a hypothetical scenario where an innovator in the 1930s sabotaged aircraft guidance systems crucial for defending against a fascist invasion.
"I believe that has almost exactly played out in the last few weeks with Elon Musk throttling back Starlink," Galloway stated. "And my question is, or my thesis is, we took the Rosenbergs and put them up against a wall and executed them for being traitors. And I realize this is an incendiary statement, but I'll make it, and I believe it. I think Elon Musk is a traitor to the West."
Galloway further argued that the current "zeitgeist within America that the idolatry of innovators and money has created a cloud cover such that traitors to the West are not seen as traitors to the West." He suggested that in a different era, without such an obsession, Musk's actions would have elicited a more severe reaction.
Musk himself has defended his company's actions, stating that Ukraine was using Starlink for offensive drone strikes, which violates the service's terms. "Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed," Musk said.
The comparison to the Rosenbergs has drawn criticism. Theo Wold, a former White House deputy assistant, called Galloway's rhetoric "ludicrous," asserting that Musk is an innovator representing Western advancement. Wold suggested Galloway's comments were a "nakedly partisan witch hunt" and an endorsement of violence against political enemies.