'Oh, come on': CNN conservative put on the spot after defending Musk's secret Putin talks

Reacting to a Wall Street Journal report that billionaire Elon Musk has been having secret talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, conservative Reihan Salam attempted to downplay the idea that anything nefarious has been going on which led to him being rebuked on CNN.

During the discussion on CNN's Chris Wallace show, host Wallace mentioned the private Putin talks that have alarmed government officials because the Donald Trump ally is also a government defense contractor.

The nation's security seemed unconcerning to Salam, who told the host, "I honestly don't know about the content of these conversations, but what I will say is that Elon Musk is someone who has been greatly enriched by Biden-Harris policies, by the Inflation Reduction Act. "

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After pointing to Musk's increased Tesla profits, he continued, "So I think that the idea that he is doing this to enrich himself, there's a little bit of a wrinkle here. "

"Oh, come on, come on" the New York Times Lulu Garcia-Navarro interrupted.

"This is with Vladimir Putin. Elon Musk is actually involved with Ukraine and has American contracts to actually give them internet with their Starlink," she lectured Salam.

"This is not just some guy having discussions over his head," she continued. "This is someone who is integral to a lot of the things that the United States is doing. And to be having private conversations with one of the premier enemies of the United States without coordinating with [the State Department] –– I mean this is highly inappropriate."

"Do you know that he is not coordinating", the conservative panelist shot back.

"We don't know what he's doing," podcaster Kara Swisher interjected.

She then added, "This is precisely what people accuse George Soros of doing and everything else, but it is perfectly fine when Elon Musk does. Elon Musk does better in a Trump presidency."

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