Musk calls Sen. Kelly a 'traitor' over trip to Ukraine, Kelly hits back

Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman and caput of the Department of Government Efficiency, called Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly a "traitor" successful a station connected X aft Kelly posted that helium had visited Ukraine implicit the weekend.

Kelly, successful a thread connected X Sunday night, posted photos of his sojourn to Ukraine and wrote, "Everyone wants this warfare to end, but immoderate statement has to support Ukraine's information and can't beryllium a giveaway to Putin."

In a reply to the thread, Musk responded, "You are a traitor."

Kelly, a erstwhile Navy aviator and astronaut, responded successful a abstracted station connected X.

"Traitor? Elon, if you don't recognize that defending state is simply a basal tenet of what makes America large and keeps america safe, possibly you should permission it to those of america who do," wrote Kelly, whose caller travel marked his 3rd sojourn to Ukraine since 2023.

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Kelly aboriginal elaborated, telling reporters that the billionaire was “not a superior guy” who should “go backmost to gathering rockets.”

“He said he's slashed and burned the national authorities to marque country for a elephantine taxation chopped for billionaires similar himself," Kelly said 1 time aft his instrumentality from Ukraine, which was his 3rd visit. "I've sworn an oath to this country. I've flown successful combat. I've served successful the Navy for 25 years. It appears to maine the oath that Elon Musk stands by is the oath to billionaires – marque their lives easier, not the American people, not veterans. I mean, he's firing workers astatine VA hospitals. He's not a superior guy. He should spell backmost to gathering rockets.”

In the aforesaid discussion, Kelly said that his travel had been “emotional” astatine times, arsenic helium met with Ukrainian officials, embassy staff, and subject leaders.

“This is existential for them, and again, implicit the past week oregon so, we've made it harder for them,” Kelly said.

He stressed the urgency of providing Ukraine with indispensable munitions and quality to forestall further casualties.

“If they don't get the munitions that are sitting connected the different broadside of the border, much Ukrainians volition die," helium said. "And these folks, I archer you, my conversations with them, they volition instrumentality with us. We instrumentality with them. They volition beryllium determination for america successful the future, nary substance what we need.”

The comments from Musk, 1 of President Donald Trump's closest advisers, comes weeks aft an explosive gathering betwixt Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful the Oval Office that devolved into a shouting match. During the stunning exchange, Trump and Vice President JD Vance rebuked Zelenskyy for his handling of the war, falsely blaming the Ukrainian person for a struggle that began erstwhile Russia's Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion.

After the meeting, Zelenskyy near without signing an statement that would person fixed the U.S. entree to Ukraine's mineral resources, which the state had hoped would guarantee the continued travel of U.S. subject enactment arsenic it battles Russia.

MORE: Trump and Zelenskyy cardinal takeaways: Oval Office gathering explodes into shouting match

Trump's medication has embarked connected a melodramatic pivot distant from the "ironclad" backing of Ukraine practiced by erstwhile President Joe Biden's administration. Trump has falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the warfare with Russia, called Zelenskyy a "dictator" and frozen subject assistance and quality enactment successful a bid to unit Ukraine into making concessions to Russia.

Kelly, on with different Democrats, person been captious of Trump's attack with Ukraine.

"If we wantonness our state Ukraine, we volition beryllium viewed by different countries including our different allies arsenic untrustworthy and successful the aboriginal we shouldn't expect their help," Kelly posted to X.

Kelly and Musk person feuded successful the past. When Musk attacked Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen past month, calling him "an idiot," Kelly and his member Scott Kelly, besides an astronaut, pushed back.

"Hey @ElonMusk, erstwhile you yet get the nervus to ascent into a rocket ship, travel speech to the 3 of us," Kelly wrote.

Musk calls Sen. Kelly a 'traitor' implicit travel to Ukraine, Kelly hits backmost primitively appeared connected abcnews.go.com