GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick calls for investigation into Elon Musk's reported actions in Ukraine

Michelle Baruchman, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Oct 21, 2026

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PHILADELPHIA — Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said he would be willing to put Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, under federal oath to investigate potential violations of law related to national security in Ukraine.

“We got to call the witnesses, to to bring them in, put them under oath, and get to the bottom of it because this is a very, very serious matter. It cannot be glossed over,” Fitzpatrick told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday night.

The comments from Fitzpatrick, who was stationed in Uraine as an FBI agent in 2015, came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk directed the slowdown of a national security tool being used by Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, connects with Ukrainian hardware to power drones that can intercept attacks. But the tech billionaire reportedly capped the speeds connecting the hardware to the satellite-based network, rendering the drones “virtually useless,” according to The Journal.

“If it is in fact Mr. Musk that ordered this, that is likely a violation of the law because he has authority and decision-making authority over Starlink, the civilian commercial product, but not Starshield, which is a military-grade national security tool,” Fitzpatrick said on CNN. “No individual civilian should have any decision-making authority on how that’s deployed. So that’s what we need to get to the bottom of.”

It’s unclear the extent of involvement President Donald Trump had in Musk’s reported decision, the Journal said.

Fitzpatrick said he has spoken to several lawmakers in both parties about ensuring accountability for Musk’s reported actions.

“There’s got to be consequences,” he said.

The Bucks County Republican is seeking reelection in one of the most hotly contested races in the nation as both parties steer millions toward the 1st Congressional District ahead of Fitzpatrick’s Nov. 3 showdown with Democrat Bob Harvie.

However, Fitzpatrick is the only swing-district Republican in the state who has yet to receive support from Musk’s political action committee, America PAC. The PAC had spent about $1.4 million, as of last week, supporting Republican incumbents in the three other Pennsylvania districts being targeted by both parties.

Fitzpatrick has consistently supported Ukraine since Russia invaded the country more than four years ago. He and 18 other Republicans voted this summer alongside Democrats to provide billions in military aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russian industries and had promised even before that to back the effort.

He also wrote a post on X last year defending Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hours after Trump called Zelensky a “terrible leader” — without directly mentioning Trump.

“President Volodymyr Zelenskyy need not, and must not, have any deal forced upon him by any outside nation that does not guarantee the security and the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people,” Fitzpatrick had said in a statement on X in February 2025.

Fitzpatrick’s district is home to a significant Ukrainian population with more 12,000 people who are from the country or claim Ukrainian heritage residing in Bucks County.

More recently, Fitzpatrick rallied a bipartisan group of lawmakers to urge Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to allow Ukrainian nationals to temporarily live and work in the United States while conditions remain unsafe. Temporary protected status for Ukrainians was extended Monday, the day protections had been set to expire.