The Daily Populous Thursday April 3rd, 2025 morning edition
Authored by thedailybeast.com and submitted by Ok-Direction-4480

Democrats are doubling down on attacks targeting Elon Musk by resurrecting his evocative straight-arm salute in an ad set for release in battleground states across the U.S.

The move comes after Musk’s humiliating attempt to win over voters in Wisconsin ended with a damning state Supreme Court defeat for conservative Brad Schimel.

The ad zeroes in on Musk’s feud with Senator Mark Kelly. The DOGE billionaire branded the retired astronaut and Navy vet a “traitor” after the lawmaker said the U.S. should “stand with Ukraine.”

The digital ad from 314 Action–a progressive advocacy group dedicated to getting Democrats with a scientific background elected–pays tribute to Kelly before complaining that Musk had taken “billions in federal funds” and was firing “thousands of our veterans.”

Senator Mark Kelly was attacked by Elon Musk over his support for Ukraine. Elizabeth Frantz/REUTERS

“It’s time to fire Elon Musk,” the ad concludes, showing footage of Musk making his controversial salute at Donald Trump’s inauguration rally.

Earlier, the ad says: “When America needed his courage to fly combat missions, Mark Kelly answered the call. An aerospace engineer, Mark Kelly led shuttle missions to space. When Arizona families, including his wife, were struck by violence, Mark Kelly listened and helped them heal.”

Kelly’s wife, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, was shot in an assassination attempt in 2011.

“Elon Musk seems to think this is all just a joke—that he can say and do whatever he wants without consequences,” said Shaughnessy Naughton, president of 314 Action.

“Calling Navy veteran Senator Mark Kelly a ‘traitor,’ while delighting in firing thousands of honorable U.S. veterans from continuing their service, is a disgrace.

“Meanwhile, in between Nazi salutes and chainsaws, he’s enriching himself and his companies off government contracts. It’s beyond time to fire Musk,” she added.

The Tesla billionaire has rejected claims there was a right-wing connection to the gesture as “tired” attacks.

The ad, called “Musk,” will run in battleground states with VA hospitals, including Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio—reaching 21 medical centers.

Its release comes as the Democratic Party is celebrating the win in Wisconsin by liberal appellate Judge Susan Crawford on Tuesday. Musk was ridiculed for his high-profile antics, which included wearing a cheesehead hat at a rally to bolster GOP support and handing out a $1 million check to voters.

Crazyhates on April 2nd, 2025 at 20:23 UTC »

> Democrats are doubling down on attacks targeting Elon Musk by resurrecting his evocative straight-arm salute

He did a Seig Heil, a Nazi Salute, multiple times in public. They need to call it what it is or they really aren't saying shit. This soft language around Nazis is deplorable.

--John_Yaya-- on April 2nd, 2025 at 19:11 UTC »

I'm not saying that Democrats should try to politically and financially grind Musk into the ground like a bug, but....yeah, they should do that.

Colonel-Mooseknuckle on April 2nd, 2025 at 19:10 UTC »

He's clearly proud of that. So if you really want to humiliate him, put up billboards with the picture of him dressed like JP from Grandma's Boy, or the pic before his hair plugs.