Key political experts have raised concerns surrounding the development of President Trump's new $175,000,000,000 'Golden Dome' defense plan, pointing out that it's not only the 'dumbest idea ever' but also could represent a major conflict of interest involving Elon Musk.
US President Donald Trump's second term has been filled with wild and potentially disastrous ideas, capped off with the near-global tariffs that could have long-term damaging effects on the United States economy and key industries.
However, he has now fixed his eyes on a new project with a suitably lavish name, as the president has authorized plans for a 'Golden Dome' to protect America from foreign missile threats.
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$25 billion has already been laid out for the initial stages of the project, but while Trump has claimed that it'll cost $175 billion and be completed by the time he leaves office, experts have indicated that this figure will likely jump up to $831 billion and take around 20 years.
In essence it would be a wide scale anti-missile program that would protect America not just from standard attacks but also potentially weapons with far greater threat like nuclear bombs, which currently no country has the means of effectively preventing.
Trump has outlined that America previously didn't have the means to provide such protection, but now the nation has "super technology" that can provide "close to 100 percent protection" against "hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles; all of them will be knocked out of the air," reported the New Republic.
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It isn't quite as simple as it may seem though, as some have outlined two major issues with the Golden Dome project, arguing that it'll be both ineffective and have worrying financial implications.
Firstly, there remains speculation that the defense systems will be easy to circumvent, even if everything goes to plan and the technology works without a hitch.
There's a strong chance that a high number of concurrent missiles would be impossible to completely destroy, and countermeasures could potentially 'spoof' the system, allowing an attack to pass by without engaging the defense.
What's perhaps more troubling though is the financial background of this project, which seemingly has Elon Musk at the heart of it as a significant beneficiary.
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While Musk and Trump appear to not be as close following the former's departure from government, SpaceX remains a key part of the Golden Dome project and could be set to receive hundreds of billions of dollars across the development process.
It's estimated that Musk's company has already earned between $6 billion and $10 from the initial plans, and key government officials have now claimed that this represents a major conflict of interest due to the billionaire's key role in Trump's administration.
"Mr. Musk's formal or informal participation in any process to award a government contract raises serious conflict of interest concerns, including the possibility that SpaceX is a top contendor for the Golden Dome contract because of Mr. Musk's position in the government," outlines a letter to Acting Inspector General Steven A. Stebbins from 42 Senators and Members of Congress.
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"All of this raises concerns about whether defense contracts to build a Golden Dome are an effective way to protect Americans or are meant to enrich Mr. Musk and other elites," the letter continues.
This isn't the first time that Musk has been accused of a conflict of interest in the five months he's spent in government either, as a FAA contract awarded to Starlink and major satellite plans given to SpaceX have also spawned accusations, but the severity of this particular development - especially considering the money involved - makes it a major issue that certain members of government are keen to investigate.
The letter requests a five-step process to assess Musk's involvement in the Golden Dome project, asking for accounts of Musk's involvement in the process, whether the Department of Defense is attempting to 'curry favor' with Musk, and whether safety risks could arise due to Trump's insistence on an accelerated program, among other requests.