Steve Bannon has called for a special counsel investigation into Elon Musk’s lucrative federal contracts and the extent of his drug use.
The MAGA civil war between the two former Trump administration figures continued over the weekend on Sunday Night with Chuck Todd, with Bannon—who already suggested deporting the South African-born tech billionaire—saying Musk should face further consequences.
“I think there have to be formal investigations,” Bannon told the former Meet the Press anchor during a discussion about SpaceX and Starlink, Musk’s satellite Wi-Fi service.
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SpaceX should be nationalized, Bannon reiterated, adding that he shared the White House’s reported security concerns about Starlink being installed there.
When Todd asked who would be leading such investigations, Bannon replied that “the best way to do it is as a special counsel that can kind of oversee everything.”
“Pull the security clearance for the drugs, temporarily. Investigate the whole drug situation,” Bannon replied.
In May, The New York Times reported that Musk’s drug use, which Trump speculated had a role in their blow-up last week, frequently involved ketamine, as well as Adderall, ecstasy and mushrooms.
Musk, The New York Times also reported, was alerted to drug tests at SpaceX ahead of time. The White House has refused to say whether Musk was drug tested during his time as de-facto head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
On Sunday, Bannon agreed with Todd when he said that Musk “never would have passed a security clearance as must a mid-level staffer.”
Also on Todd’s show, Bannon took issue with a March report that Musk, who has extensive business interests in China, was expected to receive a briefing about potential U.S. military action in that country.
“Why would you need a briefing at a highly classified level, in the tank, at the Pentagon on the China war plan?” asked Bannon, who called Musk an “agent of influence.”
For his part, Musk has described Bannon as a “communist r-tard” and a “criminal.”
Bannon spent four months in prison last year for defying a Jan. 6 House Committee subpoena.
In February, he pleaded guilty in state court to one felony count of scheming to defraud donors to his We Build the Wall fundraising campaign. Four years prior, Trump had pardoned Bannon amid his indictment in federal court over that campaign.
