Elon Musk calls Sen. Mark Kelly a ‘traitor’ for visiting Ukraine

President Donald Trump and his administration seem to have switched sides in the war between Ukraine and Russia, which invaded its neighbor three years ago. Since Trump took office, the United States has halted assistance to Ukraine, parroted pro-Russia talking points and pressured Ukraine to accept a peace deal that includes surrendering territory to the country that invaded it.

Despite that apparent shift in national priorities — perhaps from American priorities to Russian ones — Arizona senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly had the temerity to visit Ukraine.

“Just left Ukraine,” Kelly tweeted on Sunday. “What I saw proved to me we can’t give up on the Ukrainian people.”

For that, Trump lapdog, unelected billionaire and misinformation purveyor Elon Musk called Kelly a “traitor” on Monday. Musk didn’t explain why — To whom is Kelly a traitor, exactly? To Trump? — but Kelly clapped back not long after.

“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,” the former astronaut wrote on X, the social media site Musk owns.

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. pic.twitter.com/9dgmQfg7HZ

— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 10, 2025

Kelly spokesperson Jacob Kelly did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the Department of Government Efficiency, the rogue agency Musk is running to gut the federal government.

What Kelly said

Kelly’s original tweet thread didn’t contain much a reasonable person would consider “traitorous.”

He recounted the origins of the war (a Russian invasion), how Russia has targeted hospitals and how Ukrainian “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.” He wrote about meeting with Ukrainian service members and visiting the country’s Wall of Remembrance to honor fallen soldiers. He especially emphasized the knock-on effects of letting Russia get whatever it wants, as Trump appears to desire.

“The world will become a very cold and lonely place if we continue this ridiculous ‘screw you, go it alone’ foreign policy,” Kelly tweeted. “It’s dumb and it won’t age well and puts you and your kids and your grandkids at risk.”

Conversely, Musk has advanced Trump’s apparent interest in undermining an American ally to help a longtime adversary. Musk is the internet provider for the Ukrainian army — his Starlink satellite internet system has served as critical communication infrastructure for the country’s forces — and he’s threatened that he could simply shut down the service to break the Ukrainian front line.

It’s possible that Kelly may have drawn Musk’s ire for more than just a trip to Ukraine, though. The Democratic senator has been fundraising off Musk’s antagonism for months. On Feb. 21, Kelly sent a fundraising email to supporters that mentioned Musk called him a “shill.”

“Why this man — the richest person on earth, the CEO of a few big companies, the President’s best buddy — is spending his time attacking people on the internet is beyond me,” Kelly said. “I’m going to defend working families and the middle class against President Trump and Elon Musk with everything I’ve got. But I can’t do it alone.”

On the same day, Kelly jumped into a social media back-and-forth between Musk and two other astronauts, including his twin brother, Scott.

“Hey @ElonMusk,” Kelly wrote, “when you finally get the nerve to climb into a rocket ship, come talk to the three of us.”

How others reacted

Here's a sampling of how other prominent Arizona figures reacted to Musk's attack on Kelly.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes

.@SenMarkKelly is a patriot who has dedicated his life to serving our country. Attacking a veteran like Mark tells you everything you need to know about Elon Musk—a billionaire who will never understand service over self-interest. https://t.co/X5V0Z0v44G

— AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) March 10, 2025

Kelly's wife and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords

My husband is an American hero 🇺🇸 https://t.co/UORu7vBnfv

— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) March 10, 2025

Phoenix City Councilmember Carlos Galindo-Elvira

.@elonmusk is brave & bold on @X. @SenMarkKelly is a vet who’s honorably defended our nation & understands national security issues, especially Russian aggression against @Ukraine. Poor Elon lacks the testicular fortitude to say it to Kelly’s face. https://t.co/CRdiv0ckcw

— Carlos Galindo-Elvira (@arizonascge) March 10, 2025