Former U.S. Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI) responded to The Wall Street Journal‘s report that the Trump administration is reportedly “nearing a deal” to put up $500 million into Spirit Airlines “to try to save” the discount carrier.
Amash’s take: “Bailout + nationalization. Trump is the most corporate socialist president of our lifetime.”
Bailout + nationalization.
Trump is the most corporate socialist president of our lifetime. https://t.co/ygULV3PyxX
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) April 22, 2026
[NOTE: Originally a Republican, Amash became an independent in 2019, joined the Libertarian Party in 2020, and left the House in January 2021 as the only Libertarian to serve in Congress. He returned to the Republican Party in 2024.]
People on both sides of the political aisle questioned the move, with libertarians especially concurring with Amash.
Libertarian James Swan replied to Amash: “God no! Companies FAILING is how things get better! I never again want to hear ANYONE say that the United States is a free market capitalist economy. It is not now, and has not been since 1913. This kind of political cronyism is ANTITHETICAL to free market economics and it’s one of the reasons you can’t afford to buy a home and only a very few will ever get ahead. @realDonaldTrump should know better!”
Another self-identified libertarian replied on X: “It’s a shame that the word fascism was so improperly used SO often during the mid 2010s. Its meaning was so severely watered down. The merger of state and corporation is textbook fascism.”
Others are voicing their concerns — including “Where exactly is this $500 million coming from?” — and jokes, including “If Trump ever actually flew on a Spirit Airline flight, he would let them fail.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) also chimed in, writing: “If Spirit’s creditors or other potential investors don’t think they can run it profitably coming out of its second bankruptcy in under two years, I doubt the US Government can either. Not the best use of taxpayer dollars.”
[NOTE: This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has been criticized for buying a stake in an American corporation. Last year, the U.S. government became the largest shareholder of chipmaker Intel after it converted $10.86 billion in federal grants into equity in Intel, which is worth about $100 billion.]
Conservatives including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) called the Intel stake “a socialist move,” and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) wrote: “If socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn’t the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism?”