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Elon Musk Threatens Alexander Vindman With Execution In Bizarre Post
Elon Musk threatened Ret. Col. Alexander Vindman in a post on X Wednesday. Musk was responding to an accusation from Vindman that he had been divulging state secrets to Vladimir Putin. Musk posted, without presenting evidence, that "Vindman is on the payroll of Ukrainian oligarchs and has committed treason against the United States, for which he will pay the appropriate penalty."
@elonmusk on X
The penalty for committing treason against the United States is death. Musk's post caused alarm as he is no longer a private citizen, but currently a member of the incoming Trump administration. Musk, the richest person in the world, is now being put in a position to exert actual political authority in the United States, and one of his first uses of that power is to threaten a private citizen and decorated military veteran with execution.
Vindman responded to Musk by lambasting his "false and completely unfounded accusations," and stated, "that's the kind of response one would expect from a conspiracy theorist."
Vindman is a veteran of the Iraq war and was the former Director of European Affairs in the Trump National Security Council. His testimony to congress about Trump's attempt to extort the Zelensky government in Ukraine led to the first Trump impeachment. Vindman has long been the target of attacks from Trump and those in his orbit and has said he fears for the safety of himself and his family.
Later on X, chess grandmaster and anti-Putin activist Garry Kasparov posted that Musk's threat was reminiscent of Russia in the 1990's, pre-Putin coming to power, when wealthy oligarchs began to exert authority over Russian society through their proximity to government officials.
"America, this is your next four years, or longer," Kasparov said. "Oligarchs protected by Trump accusing former public officials of the gravest crimes without evidence or even pretense to provide any. Trial by social media, which is of course owned by said oligarch. Russia in the Wild West 90's."
