Tell the State Department: Stop Doing Elon Musk’s Bidding

The U.S. State Department is pressuring a close ally to protect a billionaire’s business interests, and it should alarm everyone who believes government power should not be for sale.

Recent reporting reveals that the State Department warned the United Kingdom that regulating Elon Musk’s platform X — including scrutiny of its Grok chatbot — could provoke retaliation from the United States. UK regulators are acting under their own laws, investigating whether X is complying with safety and accountability rules. Instead of respecting another democracy’s legal process, the Trump administration is intervening on behalf of Musk, attempting to strong-arm British authorities into backing down.

The State Department exists to advance the interests and values of the American people, not to function as a private shield for one of the world’s richest men. When U.S. officials threaten allies for enforcing their own laws, it sends a dangerous signal that wealth and political influence can override democratic accountability.

Governments around the world are trying to address the real harms caused by unregulated platforms and powerful AI systems — from disinformation to public safety risks. When the United States punishes allies for applying their own rules, it undermines democratic governance and encourages a race to the bottom where corporations dictate the limits of oversight.

It also raises serious concerns at home. If the State Department is willing to lean on a foreign government to protect Elon Musk, it invites the question of how far this favoritism will go. Will U.S. regulators face similar pressure when Musk’s companies are under scrutiny? Will other powerful CEOs expect the same treatment? This is how public institutions lose credibility and accountability erodes.

Foreign policy should never be reduced to personal favors for billionaires. The American people did not elect a government to bully allies on behalf of corporate executives, and our diplomatic relationships should not be leveraged to shield private companies from oversight.

Tell Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. State Department to immediately stop interfering in the UK’s investigation of X and Grok, withdraw any threats of retaliation, and commit to respecting democratic regulation — both abroad and at home.