Economist Robert Reich has reiterated his criticism of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk after slamming the latter over Starlink’s alleged slowing down in Ukraine.
‘I’m Not Gonna Be Intimidated,’ Says Robert Reich
In a post on the social media platform X, Reich said that his criticism of Musk had resulted in the billionaire wanting to get Reich imprisoned. “I’m not going to be intimidated by his [Elon Musk] bullying,” he said. “Elon Musk can whine and threaten me all he wants, but I’m still going to call out his bullying and abuse of power,” he added.
The economist said that he would continue to call out Musk over his funding of GOP candidates during elections. He also doubled down on criticism of Starlink, saying that decisions important for national security should be taken by “people who are responsible for U.S. foreign policy rather than by an unaccountable tycoon.”
“I worry about what Musk’s impulsive bullying is doing and has done to others more vulnerable than I am,” Reich wrote in a Substack post on Tuesday.
“One week to go until the midterms. Maybe then we can begin to defund Musk,” he said in the Substack post, reiterating his earlier calls.
The former U.S. Labor Secretary had earlier urged Democratic lawmakers to nationalize SpaceX and Starlink, prompting Musk to respond by saying that stealing companies was “a crime” and that Reich needed to be sent to prison. “Defund Musk, I mean this,” he said.
Economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman had also criticized Musk over the Starlink Ukraine row, saying that national security decisions should not be left in the hands of private citizens and billionaires. Krugman had also criticized the back-and-forth between the Trump administration and Musk over Starshield’s control.
Elon Musk vs Ukraine on Starlink
Musk had alleged that Ukrainian officials had used Starlink to control drones in the Russia-Ukraine war, calling it a violation of Starlink’s terms, which prohibit it from being used in non-civilian applications.
Musk also said that SpaceX offers Starshield for defense applications, but pointed out that it is in control of the U.S. government.
The Trump administration denied ordering the restrictions, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said decisions over Starlink access were ultimately up to SpaceX. Musk initially said Starshield restrictions were controlled by the U.S. government, but later acknowledged that SpaceX had restricted Starlink and accused Ukraine of violating its terms of service.
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