Ex-Labor secretary Robert Reich claims Elon Musk 'out of control,' says regulators should 'threaten arrest'

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who served during Bill Clinton's presidency, wrote in a column published Friday that Elon Musk was "out of control," and argued he needed to be reined in.

"He may be the richest man in the world. He may own one of the world’s most influential social media platforms. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to stop him," Reich wrote, including a list of six things people could do to rein in Musk. 

After Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, now known as X, Reich deemed the purchase "dangerous nonsense." He argued Musk's purchase was "just about power," rather than free speech.

Reich called on people to boycott Tesla and X and added, "Regulators around the world should threaten Musk with arrest if he doesn’t stop disseminating lies and hate on X."

Former labor secretary Robert Reich suggested in a column for the Guardian that Elon Musk was "out of control." (Left:Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Right:  (Photo by Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images))

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Reich argued that global regulators might already be considering threatening Musk with an arrest, citing France's arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris last week as part of a sweeping investigation opened earlier this year. French prosecutors alleged that he allowed criminal activity on the messaging app, and judges ordered him to pay 5 million euros bail. Allegations against Durov include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.

"In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission should demand that Musk take down lies that are likely to endanger individuals – and if he does not, sue him under Section Five of the FTC Act," Reich argued. "Musk’s free-speech rights under the first amendment don’t take precedence over the public interest."

The former labor secretary also suggested the U.S. government terminate its contracts with Musk's Space X. 

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition, March 9, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP)

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"Why is the US government allowing Musk’s satellites and rocket launchers to become crucial to the nation’s security when he’s shown utter disregard for the public interest? Why give Musk more economic power when he repeatedly abuses it and demonstrates contempt for the public good?" he wrote.

Reich's final suggestion was that Americans "make sure Musk's favorite candidate for president is not elected."

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Musk endorsed Donald Trump after the former president narrowly avoided an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.