The dispute over the space contract quickly escalated into SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attacking NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy with a homophobic slur earlier this week.
On Monday, Duffy began contracting for NASA’s Artemis III moon mission project despite a previous agreement with SpaceX. As part of announcing this move, current space agency leaders An interview has been published he commented on CNBC on X with a lengthy caption.
“As we compete with China, we need the best companies to operate at the speed that will get us to the moon first,” Duffy wrote. “SpaceX has a contract to build the HLS that will carry U.S. astronauts aboard Artemis III. But competition and innovation are the keys to dominance in space. [NASA] We are opening up HLS production to Blue Origin and other great American companies. ”
Mr. Musk’s impulse was not simply to defend SpaceX’s record, but to resort to anti-gay rhetoric against Trump administration officials.
After taking a swipe at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin in the comments, Musk said: I posted a GIF that I read“Why is it a game?”
The controversial X CEO and billionaire, who has increasingly defended homophobic and transphobic views in recent months, was referring to one notorious figure. 2012 Uganda News Interview In it, anchor Simon Kagwa Nyala asked trans activist Pepe Julian Ongiema a question.
As is well known, Duffy is not gay, but he does have an anti-LGBTQ+ record himself. Before becoming a Fox News host, he was an outspoken opponent of marriage equality, and during his eight years in Congress, Trump was the first to vote in favor of banning transgender military service. Most recently, as Secretary of Transportation, he spearheaded the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate rainbow crosswalks. He once made headlines for fighting with a lesbian housemate on MTV. real world — back when his biggest accomplishment was appearing on a reality series.
It is unlikely that Mr. Musk mistook Mr. Duffy for Pete Buttigieg, an openly gay man who served as President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary but did not lead NASA. The GIF is likely the result of a long-running feud, as Duffy and Musk have reportedly clashed in the past.
As reported in March, the first news of a rift in President Donald Trump’s relationship with the billionaire, or “bromance” as some joked, came after the Cabinet meeting. new york timeswhere Duffy accused Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency of pushing to eliminate air traffic control positions amid a spike in plane crashes. Musk called that a “lie” and said he had communicated with the Secretary of Transportation, the paper said.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
