U.S. President Donald Trump slammed reports suggesting that billionaire Elon Musk would be briefed by the Pentagon on potential U.S.-China war strategies.
What Happened: The U.S. President took to his Truth Social to call out the New York Times report which stated that the Tesla CEO would be visiting the Pentagon to get a briefing on a potential war on China. Trump called the news ‘fake’ and dismissed any possibility of a war with China. He asserted that asserting that “China will not even be mentioned or discussed.” The President signed off saying, “Anyways, the story is completely untrue.’
The New York Times report had hinted that the briefing would include details on the U.S.’s approach to a potential conflict with China. This would significantly broaden Musk’s role as a Trump advisor and could raise conflict of interest concerns, considering Musk’s business engagements in China and with the Pentagon as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
An unnamed U.S. official had told the NYT that Musk would receive briefings on various topics, including China, with top U.S. military officials present at the Pentagon.
Why It Matters: The U.S. and China have faced longstanding tensions over issues such as technology access, trade tariffs, cybersecurity, TikTok, Taiwan, Hong Kong and human rights. However, both nations are keen on fruitful discussions and establishing ties. Trump also anticipates meeting the Chinese President Xi Jinping soon.
As for Musk, the White House has previously stated that the Tesla CEO will step aside if his business interests create a conflict with his role in cutting federal spending.
Notably, this development follows another report suggesting potential changes to the U.S. military commands under the Trump administration. In response, top Republican lawmakers overseeing the Pentagon have expressed concerns over such possible adjustments, stating that “We will not accept significant changes to our warfighting structure that are made without a rigorous interagency process, coordination with combatant commanders and the Joint Staff, and collaboration with Congress.”
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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