The Conspiracy Theory That Elon Musk Stole the Election Using Starlink Is Everywhere Now

Starlink did not respond to a petition for comment.

This conspiracy mentation has continued to spread, and it's not constricted to X: Discussion threads connected Reddit, posts connected Instagram and Threads, and dozens of Facebook posts, each propulsion the communicative that Musk colluded with Trump to usage his Starlink satellites to bargain the election.

One of the astir progressive platforms for these conspiracy theories is TikTok. WIRED has reviewed dozens of videos posted connected the level by users either repeating the assertion astir Musk and Starlink oregon adding caller twists to the conspiracy theory.

X, Meta, Reddit, and TikTok did not respond to requests for comment.

One of the astir fashionable caller aspects of the mentation relates to the information that Starlink satellites were observed burning up implicit the US past weekend, which those pushing the conspiracy mentation assertion is grounds of Musk attempting to screen his tracks. The reality is that Starlink satellites are designed to pain up connected reentry astatine the extremity of their lifespan.

The conspiracy mentation has eerily akin aspects to the alleged Italygate conspiracy pushed by the Trump campaign aft the 2020 election, which suggested an Italian subject outer was utilized to flip votes from Trump to President Joe Biden.

“It's concerning to spot it solidifying and crystallizing into circumstantial narratives, and past to spot worldly being added on—this is what we saw past clip arsenic well,” says Thomas. “You spot this benignant of corporate storytelling that happens wrong these communities wherever the radical who are trying to summation clout online by promoting a caller mentation of a conspiracy theory, they each person to adhd their small bits to it truthful that they tin get their engagement.”

Other conspiracy theorists claimed Trump spoke astir “a small secret” helium made connected signifier helium had with Musk, referencing a remark helium made during his Madison Square Garden rally past month. In fact, the remark was directed astatine talker of the House Mike Johnson. Some left-leaning accounts person besides pointed to podcaster Joe Rogan’s comments this week that Musk had developed a bespoke app to springiness him aboriginal entree to predetermination results.

“Apparently Elon created an app and helium knew who won the predetermination 4 hours earlier the results,” Rogan said. “So arsenic the results are coming in, 4 hours earlier they called it, Dana White told maine Elon said ‘I'm leaving. It's over. Donald won.’” It’s unclear however this app worked oregon what information it used.

Jen Easterly, the manager of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that oversees the US elections, said successful a November 6 statement that determination was “no grounds of immoderate malicious enactment that had a worldly interaction connected the information oregon integrity of our predetermination infrastructure.”

While immoderate right-wing figures are continuing to propulsion predetermination conspiracy theories, the immense bulk person fallen soundless successful the aftermath of Trump’s win, abandoning overnight 4 years worthy of non-stop posting and shouting astir predetermination fraud.

And portion the left-wing predetermination conspiracies are obscurity adjacent the standard that the Stop the Steal question was conscionable weeks ago, immoderate experts are inactive concerned.

“I've seen immoderate comparisons to Stop the Steal and immoderate of these different close helping conspiracy predetermination theories, and it is smaller than those, arsenic they were astatine the extremity of the Trump presidency,” says Thomas. “But I deliberation the important quality determination is that they came aft months, if not years, of deliberate agitation and cultivation by a assortment of actors. So, for me, to spot these near helping predetermination fraud conspiracy theories getting beauteous important traction quickly, I think, personally, is rather concerning.”