Elon Musk Calls for NATO Overhaul, Proposes Closure of Cold War-Era Propaganda Outlets
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, appointed by former U.S. President Donald Trump as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has advocated for significant changes within NATO and the potential closure of two state-funded propaganda outlets established during the Cold War.
Musk echoed Republican Senator Mike Lee’s sentiment that “the Cold War is over, and NATO is anachronistic.” In a post on X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO suggested that NATO requires a comprehensive overhaul. This comes amid President Trump’s dissatisfaction with European allies’ defense spending, which he perceives as a strain on American resources. Trump has threatened to withdraw U.S. protection from underpaying allies.
In his role at DOGE, Musk aimed to cut government spending following Trump’s election victory in November 2020. Over the weekend, Musk targeted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), two CIA-backed outlets used during the Cold War to counter Soviet influence in Europe.
“Shut them down,” Musk wrote on X. “Europe is free now… Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.” Both RFE/RL and VOA have been criticized for their perceived bias and lack of relevance in the modern era.
Trump had previously insisted that NATO member defense spending should be 5% of GDP, rather than the current 2%, accusing some European nations of taking advantage of the U.S. The U.S., he claimed, spends “billions and billions of dollars more” on defense compared to Europe.
This stance has been met with resistance from European leaders. In January, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Berlin couldn’t afford nor spend 5% of its GDP on defense. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has urged countries to reduce social support spending to boost military budgets. Despite these challenges, Musk’s proposals for NATO reform and the closure of RFE/RL and VOA could significantly reshape U.S. foreign policy and global media landscapes.