BATON ROUGE, La.—Partnering with SpaceX to land a major development contract was an inspiring process for Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
While the California Coastal Commission repeatedly rejected requests by SpaceX to increase the number of launches in the Golden State, Louisiana is welcoming the innovative spirit of Elon Musk, the company’s CEO and the world’s richest man.
“Elon is really breathing life into something that used to be tradition for America, and that is ingenuity and dreams,” Landry said. “The South has just embraced it more than other people.”
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is building the world’s biggest launchpad, dubbed Starbase Louisiana, on the Gulf Coast, with initial cost estimates totaling $100 billion for the fully self-sufficient spaceport, complete with sustainable power generation and propellant production.
“For us, it really was a life ring, because he’s coming to build it on a coast that needs protection,” Landry told The Epoch Times during an interview in the drawing room of the governor’s mansion, noting the project will combine economic progress with long-needed coastal restoration and storm protection upgrades.
The company says the operation will enable a “multiplanetary future,” with thousands of flights scheduled annually beginning in 2029.
The creole state’s French and Spanish heritage; friendly, hard-working culture; and abundant natural resources have long been a draw for tourists and businesses. Recent announcements are boosting the region with more than a quarter-trillion dollars in investments.
Deals with Space X, Meta, and Amazon, as well as new commitments from some of the largest liquefied natural gas companies—including Cheniere, Commonwealth, Venture Global, and Woodside—are changing the state’s economic landscape.
Open for Business
Louisiana’s 57th governor took office in 2024, prioritizing education, insurance, and public safety reforms while changing regulations and tax codes to improve the quality of life and business climate for the state’s nearly 5 million residents—a number Landry expects to grow.
“Don’t we want jobs? Don’t we want opportunities?” Landry said. “We embrace capitalism, not socialism. We reward success. We don’t punish it. We compete. We don’t complain.”
New projects are increasing employment across the state, with average salaries topping $90,000 for positions and no four-year college degree required for more than 70 percent of new hires.
Hyundai announced the country’s first new steel plant in decades, a $5.8 billion operation slated for Donaldsonville in Ascension Parish, located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Landry credited President Donald Trump’s agenda to reshore manufacturing for Louisiana’s successes.
“President Trump is working with strong Republican Governors across the country, like Governor Landry, to drive private-sector investment and fuel a nationwide manufacturing renaissance,” a senior White House official told The Epoch Times.
Trump’s Aug. 31 announcement of an agreement securing 65 billion gallons of Venezuelan oil reserves is also expected to help fuel growth in the state.
“We are absolutely going to be the benefactor of this Venezuelan deal,” Landry said, bringing attention to the Louisiana offshore oil port, known as the LOOP, that allows ships to offload crude oil while offshore, expediting processing times.
Once refined, the product is moved via pipelines to markets in need across the country.
A major player in the energy sector for decades, Louisiana is now poised to lead in data center development, challenging neighboring Texas.
Meta committed more than $50 billion to build the Hyperion AI data center complex in the northeastern part of the state.
Criticism about data centers and their potential effects on communities and the environment is delaying new projects in some areas across the country. Those opposed to development express concern about energy consumption and cite reports, including the United Nations University’s June 2026 environmental impact study, while advocating for stricter regulations and guidelines to mitigate air and water quality impacts.
The pushback is not always coming from organic sources, as some foreign interests, including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), are complicating discussions with the use of bots and fictitious accounts to spread false information, according to the governor.
Concerns About China
The Chinese regime’s tentacles have spread deep into American politics and economics, seeking to influence public opinion and interfere with elections and democratic processes, documents declassified by Trump in his second term reveal. It’s a challenge Landry said must be overcome.
He urged those considering aligning with communist ideologies to study the past and understand the repercussions of allowing an oppressive system to take hold.
“I’m hopeful that we can bring common sense back into the fold, that people will start to understand the deadly consequences of socialism,” Landry said. “No form of government has been [more] responsible for the murdering of innocent people … than a socialistic government or a communistic government, and that’s not my opinion. Those are absolutely facts.”
The governor pointed to evidence that the CCP and its allies are working to undermine the United States.
“China and Russia and our enemies have learned to take the First Amendment that we have, that we hold so precious, and use it as literally a political weapon against our own people,” Landry said. “They pay people to say that socialism is better and capitalism is worse.”
Nations around the globe are competing to dominate in artificial intelligence and data technology, and the decisions made now carry significant risks and opportunities, according to the governor.
“Think of what they would do,” Landry said. “These are people that literally genocide their own people.”
Greenland: ‘We Need It’
Landry serves as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland, which he aims to make an extension of America, potentially a 51st state or some sort of territory.
“It doesn’t really matter what the label of the deal says,” he said. “It has more to do with the relationship between the two countries.”
Trump has repeatedly called for Greenland’s acquisition, categorizing the deal as vital for national security.
“The president is right. It’s in the Western Hemisphere. It fits inside the Monroe Doctrine. We need it,” Landry said.
He toured the region in May, talking with government officials and villagers to get an understanding of their perspectives and needs.
“The people of Greenland actually love the United States,” Landry said, noting the locals’ similarities with Louisianans, with both communities known for abundant fisheries, natural resources, and making the best out of challenging situations.
“It was heartwarming, and I think what’s available to them is extreme economic opportunity.”
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the delegation’s trip earlier this year helped strengthen diplomatic connections with local leaders.
“The United States is optimistic that we are on a good trajectory to address U.S. national security interests in Greenland,” Wales said at the time.
Following the visit, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told reporters the discussions were respectful, but the island’s sovereignty is a priority.
“We have reiterated that the people of Greenland are not for sale and that Greenlanders have the right to self-determination,” Nielsen said at the time. “This is not a subject for negotiation.”
The United States built bases on the sovereign territory after signing a Defense of Greenland Agreement with Denmark in 1941. A series of drawdowns following the end of World War II and the Cold War culminated in the consolidation of all U.S. military operations by 2004 to what is now the Pituffik Space Base.
The shrinking military footprint has had an impact on the local economy in Greenland, Landry said.
Greenland’s relative isolation to industrial and economic markets is impacting residents, who struggle to access healthcare and living wages, Landry said.
“The place is just a money laundering operation for the Danish government. That’s what it is,” Landry said, characterizing the flow of about $600 million in grant money from Denmark in exchange for exports. “They really don’t have an open market. Everything is monopolized, based back in Denmark.”
The Danish government did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Trump’s rhetoric about acquiring Greenland when she arrived at the NATO summit in July.
“Our position is as clear as it has been all through,” Frederiksen said. “Greenland is, of course, not for sale.”
A working group overseen by the White House is negotiating with stakeholders to establish a framework for a deal, with more details expected from the Trump administration in the coming weeks and months.
“Our message to Greenland is the same message we try to give to everyone in the globe: that America is a place of opportunity, and that if you want to enjoy opportunity, if you want to raise the quality of your life for your kids, your grandkids, then we’re the right partnership,” Landry said.
Geaux Tigers
As day turned to night, purple and gold lights lit up the governor’s mansion in preparation for Saturday’s Louisiana State University football game.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision in NCAA v. Alston, college football is mired in legal battles, with challenges to payments for players and eligibility rules changes working their way through the court system.
“It’s put college football and college sports—it’s turned it upside down, on its head,” Landry said. “The only way to fix that is in Congress. The problem is, Congress is completely dysfunctional.”
Echoing Trump’s calls to end the virtual filibuster, he said the move is needed to break through the Senate’s impasse.
“The individual selfishism [sic] of the Senate and the 60-vote threshold is keeping us from being able to literally enjoy college sports,” the governor said.
He later joined 102,000 fans at Tiger Stadium to see the home team dominate Clemson 51–10, with sound readings touching 129 decibels during the game.
‘“People in Louisiana love football,” Landry said. “And we like to win.”
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