Trump acknowledges potential conflicts amid Musk’s influence
US President Donald Trump has admitted a possible conflict of interest regarding Elon Musk after a reported classified briefing on US war plans for China was canceled.
“Certainly, you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much. Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible perhaps to that,” Trump told reporters on Friday.
Musk, the world’s richest man and a major Trump supporter, has extensive business interests in China, including Tesla’s manufacturing operations. Some of his companies also hold contracts with the US Department of Defense.
Regarding the war plans, Trump stated, “I don’t want to show it to anybody. You know you’re talking about a potential war with China.” He added, “We don’t want to have a potential war with China, but I can tell you, if we did, we’re very well equipped to handle it.”
Reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times suggested that Musk was set to receive a classified briefing on the military’s China war plans. However, the White House and Pentagon denied such a meeting was scheduled.
Initially, Musk was to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Admiral Christopher Grady, and Admiral Samuel Paparo in the highly secure “Tank” room at the Pentagon. However, after media reports surfaced, the meeting was changed from classified to unclassified, and Musk met only with Hegseth in his office for over an hour.
Musk later told reporters, “It was a great meeting.” When asked about the discussion, Hegseth initially declined to elaborate but later stated, “Elon Musk is a patriotic American, and I appreciate him.”
A Defense Department statement noted that the discussion centered on “innovation, efficiency, and smarter production” rather than classified matters. The meeting, officials clarified, resulted from a personal invitation by Hegseth, not Musk’s role in government efficiency efforts.
Speculation arose that Musk’s briefing was initially intended to ensure his cost-cutting measures did not compromise US military preparedness against China.
Musk’s influence in government has led to friction with officials. Previously, he shut down USAID operations and criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio for not reducing staff, resulting in a tense exchange during a Cabinet meeting. Trump later hosted a private dinner to resolve the dispute.
Additionally, Musk’s directive for federal employees to submit weekly task reports or face termination was reportedly ignored by Secretary of State Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump downplayed the issue, explaining, “They don’t mean that in any way combatively with Elon. They’re just saying there are some people that you don’t want to really have them tell you what they were working on last week.”
