President Joe Biden Calls for an Investigation on Elon Musk's Ties With Other Countries

With Elon Musk's strengthening business outside the United States, President Joe Biden wants to question the billionaire's dealings with other countries.

Engadget writes that Biden calls for a federal investigation of Musk as he is suspected to be a threat to national security.

The Billionaire's Recent Deals Breed Doubt In Biden's Government

It was unclear exactly which relationship with which country Biden was referring to, but he emphasized that Musk's technical relationship with them is worthy of being looked at.

This was not the first time that a US government official has raised concerns about the CEO's business ventures and their potential national security implications.

Senator Chris Murphy said that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US finds Musk's purchase of Twitter a security risk, according to Engadget.

In a press conference, the president mentioned this as well, citing that the company has major investments from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has had a share in Twitter since 2011, holding 4% of the social media network with his Kingdom Holdings firm, New York Post details.

This makes the Arabian Prince the second largest share owner in the company next to Twitter's new owner, who has just purchased it recently.

Democrat Senator Ron Wyden also argues that Saudi's history of jailing critics and spying on those on the platform, Twitter should block the country from the social network.

The Guardian writes that Wyden says that Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to access Twitter Account information, direct messages, and other data that can be used to identify political affiliations.

"I've long argued that the United States has a national security interest in protecting Americans' data from murderous foreign governments, and this Saudi regime absolutely fits that description," he adds.

Read More: Elon Musk Sells $3.95 Billion Worth of Tesla Shares Following His Twitter Acquisition 

Musk Has Been Previously Criticized For His Political Comments

Other critics have also pointed out the CEO's business dealings between Tesla and China, which could be used by the country to pressure Musk to turn over data.

The Washington Post reports that some intelligence analysts and officials from the White House are also apprehensive of Musk's international relationship with China.

The SpaceX owner has also been under scrutiny for blatantly suggesting that the public should decide the outcome of the ongoing Ukraine invasion by Russia.

In a report by The Guardian, Musk also suggested that the tension between China and Taiwan will be over if Taiwan surrenders control to Beijing.

It can be remembered that President Biden did not invite Musk's Tesla last year to a vehicle expo at the White House for its lack of a unionized workforce.

The president has also previously slammed Musk for owning Twitter, saying that it was a platform that spread misinformation.

At the same press conference, Biden was also asked about his own family's business relationships overseas, but he just laughed off the inquiries.

Biden's sons Hunter and James are currently being investigated for their involvement in possible tax fraud, illegal foreign lobbying, and money laundering, according to the New York Post.

Related Article: Biden Signs EO That Protects Data Transfers between US, EU 

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