‘Never Trumper’ David Frum Calls on Feds to Seize Elon Musk’s Company Starlink For Ukraine

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David Frum, the former George W. Bush staffer of Iraq War and “Axis of Evil” fame, argues that Elon Musk’s Starlink company should be seized by the federal government to provide free internet to Ukraine as the war with Russia rages on.

Frum, a neoconservative ‘Never Trump’ Republican once described by Musk as a “hypocritical megadouche,” believes the company should be seized if, as the Tesla CEO has threatened, they pull out due to their current unsustainable free service model.

Starlink has been supplying and even paying for satellite internet that the Ukraine military now heavily depends on. Musk was widely heralded as a hero for providing the service.

We’re just following his recommendation 🤷‍♂️

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022

David Frum Wants Elon Musk’s Starlink Company Seized

Atlantic writer David Frum, citing Woodrow Wilson as an example, believes the government should pay for and “nationalize” Elon Musk’s Starlink company.

“It was always unreasonable, and is becoming unwise, to expect @elonmusk to provide Internet to Ukraine for free forever. Western allies should pay,” Frum tweeted.

He added that the United States “should have a plan ready to nationalize Starlink fast if Musk cuts off Ukraine’s connection to advance his political agenda.”

If it was political agenda that is causing Musk to pull out, what political agenda did he have for providing the service in the first place?

It was always unreasonable, and is becoming unwise, to expect @elonmusk to provide Internet to Ukraine for free forever. Western allies should pay. And US should have a plan ready to nationalize Starlink fast if Musk cuts off Ukraine’s connection to advance his political agenda.

— David Frum (@davidfrum) October 17, 2022

In a subsequent tweet, Frum argued “there’s abundant precedent for US government seizure of critical infrastructure during wars or national emergencies.”

He added a link to a National Constitution Center column about Wilson seizing the nation’s railroads during World War I.

There’s abundant precedent for US government seizure of critical infrastructure during wars or national emergencies. Of course, reasonable compensation must be paid, per the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution. https://t.co/HY0jUMzylr

— David Frum (@davidfrum) October 18, 2022

Does Frum Think We’re At War?

There are multiple reasons why David Frum’s argument to seize Elon Musk’s company is troublesome.

Musk provides a free service out of his own pocket, and a neocon pro-war rube turns and suggests the government steal it from him if he doesn’t agree to just indefinitely fund it for free.

Sounds kind of fascist, to be honest.

The other issue? And it’s a glaring one. The United States isn’t at war. Ukraine is.

Do tell Mr. Frum, what ‘war’ or ‘national emergency’ is the United States facing?

The left going full communist. https://t.co/WfBWohS7bm

— Dan Bowen (@ScotchGuyDan) October 18, 2022

Journalist Glenn Greenwald slammed Frum as a “warmonger” and “more excited than ever with Ukraine” and the prospect of taking a war footing in the nation’s aid efforts.

The standard DC warmongers who have led the US into multiple military conflicts over the last 20 years — Iraq, Syria, Libya, endless drone bombing of 8 countries — are more excited than ever with Ukraine. Here’s @DavidFrum demanding the nationalization of Starlink, citing WW1. pic.twitter.com/Dmy1iR8QrS

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 18, 2022

“How do you not realize that the current and extremely dangerous US proxy war with Russia – using Ukraine as the battlefield – is being led by all the same people (beginning with Biden and his neocon allies) who led the US into war in Iraq and Afghanistan, then Libya, Syria, etc?” Greenwald tweeted.

“These are largely people who feel deeply inadequate and weak, who have never displayed any personal courage in their lives.”

Ah yeah, the Woodrow Wilson precedent. Good stuff man. https://t.co/KvrtXpuoue

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 18, 2022

Musk and Frum have previously been in a Twitter dustup, with the former referring to the Atlantic writer as a “hypocritical megadouche” for denouncing Hitler comparisons when he has made them himself.