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US Senator Mark Kelly responds again after Elon Musk labeled him a ‘traitor’ for Ukraine visit
The former astronaut and Navy veteran continues his public disagreement with the Tesla CEO as the two exchange sharp criticisms amid escalating tensions over Ukraine policy.
Since Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, US-Ukraine relations have deteriorated significantly, particularly after the Republican president accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War 3” during their Oval Office meeting. Trump subsequently implemented a temporary suspension of military assistance to Ukraine.
Shortly thereafter, Musk – who heads the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Trump administration – began criticizing Democratic Senator Kelly of Arizona following his diplomatic visit to Ukraine during ongoing peace negotiations with Russia earlier this month.
At that time, Kelly posted on Twitter: “Just left Ukraine. What I saw proved to me we can’t give up on the Ukrainian people. Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraine’s security and can’t be a giveaway to Putin. Finally, if we stand with Ukraine they will be there for us. This country has a fighting spirit and a depth of experience and kickassness unmatched anywhere in the world today. These are the people you want in your corner. My goal in the Senate is and will continue to be to keep us out of wars.”
This statement prompted Musk to brand him a traitor, to which Kelly responded: “Traitor? Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do.”
Now, Kelly has countered Musk again after the billionaire reinforced his previous accusation.
Musk’s follow-up criticism came during a Fox News interview where he stated: “I think somebody should care about the interests of the United States above another country, and if they don’t they’re a traitor.”
In response, Kelly told CNN that Musk was aligning himself with “a bunch of billionaires” whose values are “much closer to Russia.”
“I don’t even know if he deserves a response. What I will say is that I’ve spent an entire career standing up for our country, defending our country, flying in combat over Iraq, flying in space on the space shuttle, serving in the United States Senate.”
Kelly added: “My entire life has been about serving this country, and I always stand with the best interests of our nation. And I will tell you this… standing with our allies and standing up for democracy is in the best interest of the United States.”
In conclusion, Kelly emphasized that he shares the universal desire for the conflict to end.
He stated: “I want this thing to end as much as anybody. But he throws this ‘traitor’ word around — at least with regards to me — fairly freely. I don’t think he’s a serious guy, and he hasn’t given this a lot of thought.”