‘You Are a Traitor’: Elon Musk Launches Stunning Attack on Senator and Decorated Veteran for Supporting Ukraine
(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) fired back at Elon Musk on Monday after the Tesla billionaire called him a “traitor’ for visiting Ukraine.
Kelly, a former astronaut and Navy captain, posted a lengthy thread on Sunday about his visit to Ukraine. He wrote, “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. Let me tell you about my trip and why it’s important we stand with Ukraine.”
Musk replied to Kelly’s post, “You are a traitor.”
Kelly, a decorated naval aviator, later hit back at the South Africa-born Trump supporter, saying, “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.”
https://www.twitter.com/SenMarkKelly/status/1899155561171558505
Kelly also debunked some of Trump’s claims regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine in his thread that led to Musk’s wild accusation. Kelly wrote:
This war started with what Putin thought would be a three-day operation to take Kyiv and control of all of Ukraine. Now three years later, that hasn’t happened. American and allied support has been a big reason why, but I saw how cutting it off now risks everything so many Ukrainians have laid down their lives for. And while our support hasn’t been free, we haven’t sent even half of what President Trump says.
Hospitals should never be targets in war, but Putin is a war criminal who targets hospitals routinely. I visited one in Kyiv. Injured soldiers told me how they want to get back to the fight. Nurses there shared their stories of the invasion with me through tears. Stories of violence that women and children of Ukraine suffered during the invasion. These nurses told me how they witnessed Russian soldiers raping children in front of their parents and then murdering these children in front of their parents. Horrendous war crimes which can never be forgiven. Donald Trump says he trusts Putin and is trying to make him look like a friend and a good guy. I look forward to seeing Putin rot in prison.
The pause of military aid has only made it harder for Ukraine in their fight against Russia. They are running low on certain weapons which have made it most of the way to Ukraine. Stopping the transfer of these weapons only helps the Russians. The Russians will become more confident and try to drive a harder bargain in ceasefire talks. This isn’t rocket science. We should be negotiating from a position of strength.
Donald Trump is trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand and we are owed an explanation. If Putin gains ground he won’t agree to a ceasefire and will eventually threaten a NATO ally and this puts American troops and the American people at risk.
I met with Ukrainian pilots, one who I had met in Arizona when he was learning to fly the F-16. They are flying challenging combat missions against the Russians who are protected by a considerable electronic warfare and surface to air missile system defense. They’ve learned a lot and they are getting better and having more success. When Trump cut off these pilots from US intelligence that they need to plan their missions, he blinded them to the threat and put them and their aircraft at risk. But worse than that, it helps the Russians advance further into Ukrainian territory and murder more Ukrainians. President Trump says the Russians are “hitting them hard” in a tone of voice that implies approval. It is sickening to see from an American President. “Hitting them hard” means more dead Ukrainian kids.
Ukraine did not start this war, and they did not ask for the constant missile and drone attacks that have terrorized the population. Government officials who can’t acknowledge factual information should reevaluate their career choices.
Read Kelly’s full thread here.
