U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona visited Ukraine this past weekend, in support of the country’s fight against Russia’s invasion. After Kelly posted about the trip on social media, X owner and President Trump ally Elon Musk called Kelly a traitor.
The Trump administration has pulled back on U.S. support for Ukraine. Two weeks ago, there was a confrontational meeting at the White House that ended with Trump ordering the Ukrainian president out of the Oval Office.
The Arizona senator took to X on Sunday to post a thread highlighting his trip to Ukraine. During the trip, he spoke with military members, nurses, and impacted families.
He added that any peace deal with Russia is necessary and criticized President Donald Trump saying he is “trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand.”
Kelly posted that his visit proved the U.S. can not give up on the Ukrainian people — which prompted Musk to reply to the thread, saying, “you are a traitor.”
In response to Musk’s comment, Kelly criticized Musk’s involvement in the government relations.
“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," said Kelly.
On CBS Mondays, Kelly said he wasn’t surprised that Musk lashed out.
“He’s not a serious guy, and he’s been slashing and burning the federal government at the expense of folks that are just trying to get by and live their lives, and many of them are veterans,” said Kelly.
When questioned in Washington about Musk’s comment, Kelly said he swore an oath to uphold the constitution. He added that Musk has not.
“I’ve lived that oath my entire life. I’m not sure if Elon has sworn an oath to anything. If I was to guess, probably just billionaires like himself,” said Kelly.
He later told reporters that Musk should “go back to building rockets.”
Kelly’s visit was in support of Ukraine’s efforts to fight off Russia’s invasion. Upon returning home, Kelly said that although everybody wants the war to end, a peace agreement can’t involve a give-away to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
