American tycoon Elon Musk threatens to ‘nuke’ people behind Russia-links smears

His remarks come after US Democratic Party Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Jack Reed of Rhode Island called for an investigation into the tycoon’s alleged communications with Russian officials.

In a letter to Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch and Attorney General Merrick Garland, the senators cited an October article in the Wall Street Journal claiming that Musk held several conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022, as well as other high-ranking Russian officials.

The newspaper relied on anonymous sources, including current and former US officials. It offered no evidence to support the assertions.

The senators have called into question Musk’s reliability as a government contractor, noting his involvement in government-funded projects through his companies Tesla and SpaceX. They raised concerns that Musk may have access to classified information, given SpaceX’s collaboration with American space agencies. In their letter, the lawmakers suggest that an investigation is needed to determine whether Musk and his companies should remain eligible for government contracts.

Musk has dismissed the senators’ claims, calling them “puppets” and questioning who was behind the letter.

“Who actually wrote this and made those knuckleheads sign it?” he wrote.

“There will be consequences for those who pushed foreign interference hoaxes.”

In a separate post on X in which Musk defended US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general, he said, “The Hammer of Justice is coming.”

The controversy surrounding Musk’s alleged links to Russia echoes similar accusations against other prominent figures. During his first term in office, Trump faced repeated claims of collusion with Moscow, which were fueled by media reports and investigations. The allegations were widely used to undermine his presidency and were later found to be unsubstantiated.

The Kremlin has denied the reports of Musk’s frequent communication with Putin, with Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov calling the allegations yet another thing “tossed into” the political struggles surrounding the election.

Musk has actively supported the president-elect and has become an increasingly influential figure among Republicans. This week, Trump appointed Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new initiative that will be tasked with reducing government waste.