Washington DC - Billionaire Elon Musk has claimed a former government official committed "treason" by suggesting that he is a Russian asset.

During a recent appearance on MSNBC, former National Security Council official Alexander Vindman claimed the US is "under attack" from Russia, as President Vladimir Putin has been using figures like Musk to "sow discord" in the country and "do his bidding."

The comments got the attention of Musk, who vowed Vindman would "pay" for his wrongdoings.

"Vindman is on the payroll of Ukrainian oligarchs and has committed treason against the United States, for which he will pay the appropriate penalty," Musk said on Wednesday.

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In recent months, Musk has dedicated much of his time – and millions of dollars – to helping Trump win re-election.

Now that Trump has won, Musk will be joining his administration as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, where he will be tasked with "deleting" unnecessary government agencies, programs, and workers.

His comments toward Vindman have received backlash, as critics have pointed out that in the US legal code, treason – which is the act of "levying war" against the US or "adhering" to their enemies – is punishable by death.

Other critics also noted that Vindman may also be receiving ire from Musk due to the fact that he testified in 2019 that Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to find dirt on his political opponent Joe Biden, which led to the new president-elect being impeached for the first time.

Vindman shared a reaction to Musk's post, calling the tech mogul out for "again making false and completely unfounded accusations without providing any specifics" as "conspiracy theorists" tend to do.

He went on to point out that he does run a fundraiser that aims to "help Ukraine defend itself from Russia's unprovoked attack," but insisted he has never taken money from "oligarchs Ukrainian or otherwise."

"You, Elon, appear to believe you can act with impunity and are attempting to silence your critics," Vindman added. "I'm not intimidated."