The Trump administration is facing backlash from conservatives over its plan to bailout Spirit Airlines, raising concerns about the precedent it sets for government involvement in business. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tom Cotton (R.-Arkansas), two prominent Trump supporters, called the plan a "terrible idea" and "not the best use of taxpayer dollars". Sen. Mike Lee (Republican Utah) argued that competition among airlines suffers when government bails them out. Former Vice President Mike Pence’s group, Advancing American Freedom, also criticized the plan. Some Conservatives have compared a potential bailout of Spirit Airlines to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which was opposed by conservative critics during the 2007-08 financial crisis. One airline industry source called the potential bailout "spectacularly bad judgement". The development comes as the administration has bought equity in private sector companies totalling $20.9 billion.