Former labor secretary Robert Reich is calling on Democrats to defund Elon Musk and begin laying the groundwork to nationalize Starlink and SpaceX. That is not a minor regulatory suggestion. It is a demand to move private businesses into public control during a political fight over Musk’s support for President Trump and his growing influence.
Reich put it bluntly: “We’ve got to defund Musk. And when I say defund Musk, you know, 75% of his wealth is dependent on taxpayers who are buying Starlink systems for the Department of Defense. Defund Musk. I mean this.”
He then urged Democrats to pursue nationalization directly, saying: “If we have a Democratic administration, and the Democrats ought to be starting this, not just with oversight hearings, but also starting laying the groundwork for nationalizing Starlink and SpaceX. Nationalize it. It should be a public corporation.”
Reich framed the proposal as accountability, arguing that Musk’s money, reach, political activity, and public comments made him a target for Democratic oversight. Apparently, the new definition of accountability includes taking control of a private company when its owner becomes politically inconvenient. That is a creative interpretation of government power, although it has the unfortunate habit of sounding like confiscation.
Musk answered the threat on X with a short response: “Stealing companies is a serious crime. Prison for Reich.” It was not a lengthy policy paper, but it got straight to the central dispute. Reich is talking about nationalizing private businesses. Musk is calling that theft and warning that those pushing the idea could face criminal consequences.
The Gateway Pundit’s account presents Reich’s proposal as a return to an old government-first approach, where politically powerful officials decide which private companies should remain private. The source also connects the argument to the shutdown of USAID, describing that agency as part of a pipeline the author says was used to interfere with foreign elections and launder money. Reich’s criticism of Musk is portrayed as especially sharp because Musk and President Trump were involved in ending that operation.
Posts from C3 and Collin Rugg highlighted Reich’s comments, while Musk’s response added fuel to an already heated political fight. The issue is larger than one argument on social media. Reich is asking Democrats to prepare for government control of Starlink and SpaceX. Musk is warning that taking private companies because of their owner’s politics crosses a criminal line.
That is a serious choice for voters. Oversight hearings are one thing; laying plans to nationalize major private businesses is something else entirely. Treating the second as routine accountability is like calling a bulldozer a garden tool. The proposal deserves scrutiny, especially from anyone who still believes private property should not depend on which political party controls Washington.
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