President Donald Trump's DOGE adviser Elon Musk has sworn an "oath to his checking account," only according to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who Musk called a "traitor" for visiting Ukraine.
"When I was 22 years old, before getting sworn into the Navy, or as I was getting sworn in to the United States Navy, I swore an oath to our Constitution to protect and defend the Constitution," Kelly told MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Monday night, reported The Hill.
"I have lived that oath my entire life," he added. "I flew in combat in the first Gulf War. I served in the United States Navy for 25 years. I spent 15 years at NASA, risking my life flying the space shuttle."
But the "only oath" Musk has signed is to his "own checking account, to his pocketbook — an oath, maybe, to ruining the lives of veterans," said Kelly.
Musk is under fire by some for his efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency to cut spending and abuse in the federal government.
The mass firings include cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to VA Secretary Doug Collins, who said last week the agency plans to cut 80,000 jobs in addition to the removals of probationary employees after Trump took office.
"I had veterans in my office last week who, after really good performance reports, found out that Elon Musk fired them for poor performance. He has ruined these people's lives," Kelly said.
"He has ruined these people's lives," he added. "They were serving our country again in very valuable roles, and they did not deserve to get fired by an email from an unelected billionaire."
Musk, he added, should "go back to making rockets … he shouldn't be focused on this slash-and-burn of the federal government … I would prefer if Elon went back to his old job, you know, at SpaceX and Tesla."
Kelly's comments came after Musk responded, "You are a traitor" to Kelly's posts on X. While in Ukraine, the senator interacted with Red Cross personnel, toured a military hospital, and was shown alongside military equipment.
Kelly said the trip proved to him that "Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraine's security and can't be a giveaway to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has defended Kelly against Musk's criticism.
"I think the American people are sick and tired of the wealthiest guy in the world running the United States government and calling, in this case, a guy who put his life on the line to defend us, a traitor," Sanders said Monday on CNN.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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