After Helene, Even Restoring Internet Service Is Political

In the days since Hurricane Helene left a swath of destruction across the Southeastern United States, former President Donald J. Trump has praised the tech billionaire Elon Musk for what he has described as Mr. Musk’s personal efforts and extragovernmental largess to bring internet service back to hard-hit rural areas.

The reality is more complicated. While Starlink, the satellite service operated by Mr. Musk’s company SpaceX, has given hundreds of free devices and a window of free internet service to private citizens in areas hit by the storm, the federal government is also providing Starlink services to recovery efforts.

The situation reflects the strange place Mr. Musk occupies in American politics: a multibillionaire whose companies are contracted to provide vital services to the U.S. government; the owner of a wide-reaching social media platform, on which he often rails against the inefficiencies of the federal government; and a vocal, active supporter of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.

It also reflects the inevitable politicization of natural disasters on the eve of a close-fought election.

On Monday afternoon, during a visit to Valdosta, Ga. — a city on the state’s southern edge that sustained substantial damage in the storm — Mr. Trump described the lack of internet connection and basic communications infrastructure in North Carolina.

“I just spoke to Elon,” Mr. Trump said. “We want to get Starlink hooked up, because they have no communication whatsoever. Elon will always come through, we know that.” He added, “We are going to try to get Starlink in there as soon as possible.”