Trump Says Musk Won’t Get China Military Info

Listen To Story Above

President Trump dismissed recent reports from The New York Times suggesting his ally Elon Musk would receive a Pentagon briefing about potential military strategies against China.

Taking to Truth Social on Thursday, Trump stated emphatically that “China will not even be mentioned or discussed” during the upcoming Pentagon meeting.

Pentagon leader Pete Hegseth clarified on X that the discussion would focus on “innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.”

🚨 BREAKING – morning mean tweet alert: Trump calls NYT’s Maggie Haberman “Maggot Haberman” over her “probably libelous” story claiming Elon Musk will be briefed on secret plans against China.

/div>

“Their FAKE concept for this story is that because Elon does some business in China,… pic.twitter.com/0ouXYdJANt

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 21, 2025

However, a senior U.S. military official, speaking anonymously, revealed that the briefing would indeed cover various topics, including China, with high-ranking Pentagon officials in attendance.

The New York Times article, citing two unnamed U.S. officials, claimed the presentation would include between 20 and 30 slides detailing American military strategy in a potential conflict with China.

This development could significantly expand Musk’s influence as a Trump advisor, particularly in his role overseeing government spending reduction initiatives.

🚨 Elon Musk arrives at the Pentagon.

President Trump shut down the New York Times report that he would be briefed on U.S. strategy for a war with China. pic.twitter.com/LHP0B7BRFa

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) March 21, 2025

The situation raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, given Musk’s dual role as CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, companies with significant business ties to China and defense contracts with the Pentagon.

The White House has addressed these concerns, stating that Musk would step aside from any discussions where his business interests might conflict with his advisory role on federal spending cuts.

The reported briefing comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing, spanning multiple issues including technology access, trade disputes, cybersecurity concerns, TikTok regulations, Taiwan relations, Hong Kong policy, human rights issues, and disagreements over COVID-19’s origins.