Astronaut and senator Mark Kelly has hit out at Elon Musk after the tech billionaire called him a "traitor" for visiting Ukraine.
The drama began shortly after Kelly made a trip to Ukraine amid ongoing peace talks with Russia.
The Arizona Democrat voiced strong support for Ukraine in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “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.”
Then Elon Musk turned up.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO — now also leading the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump — didn’t take kindly to Kelly’s message.
Musk, who’s become increasingly vocal on foreign policy, lashed out and labeled the senator a “traitor.”
Kelly quickly 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.”
But Musk wasn’t done. In an interview with Fox News, he doubled down: “I think somebody should care about the interests of the United States above another country, and if they don’t they’re a traitor.”
Now, Kelly’s had enough.
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Speaking to CNN, the senator questioned Musk’s values and said he’s aligning himself with “a bunch of billionaires” whose priorities are “much closer to Russia.”
“I don’t even know if he deserves a response,” Kelly said. “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.
“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.”
And for the record, Kelly made it clear he wants peace, too: “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.”
Of course, both parties' comments come approximately one month after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a heated debate at the White House with US President Trump and Vice President Vance.
Despite Trump accusing Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War III", the Ukrainian leader has publicly stated that his nation needs the support of the US amid the peace talks.
While speaking to Congress earlier this month, Trump revealed that he had received a letter from Zelenskyy, stating: “Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians. Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time that is convenient for you.”