Robert Reich urges Democrats to nationalize SpaceX and Starlink

Robert Reich, labor secretary under President Bill Clinton, said on an Oct. 24 episode of his podcast, "The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich," that Democrats should open investigations into Elon Musk and begin preparing to bring SpaceX and its satellite internet unit, Starlink, under federal ownership, Fox Business reported.

Reich argued that Musk has accumulated excessive political and economic influence and said three-quarters of the billionaire's fortune rests on government purchases, pointing to Starlink equipment bought by the Department of Defense. He did not offer evidence for that figure, according to Fox Business. SpaceX has won billions of dollars in federal contracts, including work for NASA and the Pentagon.

Any federal takeover, Reich said, would require Democrats to win the presidency as well, and he said the companies should be publicly owned so that such power is not concentrated in a single individual.

Musk replied on X on Oct. 25 to a clip of the remarks circulated by commentator Collin Rugg, writing: "Stealing companies is a serious crime. Prison for Reich."

Reich also predicted Musk would become a focus of congressional oversight if Democrats take the House and possibly the Senate in the November midterm elections, and said Musk would use his audience on X as a defense.

This story was first reported by Fox Business.