Think Tank Conservative Targets NASA Employee Communication About Elon Musk And Trump

Jakarta A leading conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, asked NASA to disclose internal communications between employees regarding Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump. This request is part of an effort to help Trump get rid of uncooperative civil servants if he is re-elected president in November.

Since September 3, the Heritage Foundation has submitted at least 192 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to NASA. Its main goal is to identify employees who may oppose Trump and Musk, particularly regarding Musk's company progress, such as SpaceX.

According to Mike Howell, director of the Heritage Foundation's investigative unit, NASA and other government agencies are considered to be hampering innovation because they are too focused on "identity politics" rather than space missions.

The request is also allegedly aimed at helping Trump revive plans from his first term of office, which aims to replace federal employees who are deemed inconsistent with his government.

"We want to make sure that the armed government is not directed at Musk," Howell said.

NASA confirmed it had received an unprecedented number of requests from the Heritage Foundation. To date, there is no indication that Musk or Trump's campaign is directly involved in this endeavor, although Musk has publicly supported Trump.

The Heritage Foundation has long had close ties to Trump and has recently been known through the "Project 2025," an initiative that is considered a guide for the federal government's conservative reshuffle if Trump returns to office.