Trump Asserted: Elon Musk Isn't Privy to Briefings on Potential War Strategies against China at Pentagon
Rewritten Article:
Elon Musk, the wealthy tycoon with ties to defense contracting, met up with high-ranking officials at the Pentagon last Friday. Contrary to Thursday's reports by two major newspapers suggesting Musk would receive a briefing on closely guarded secrets about a possible conflict with China, it appears that bit didn't quite pan out. But Musk thinks whoever leaked that info should find themselves behind bars.
The New York Times was the one to drop the news on Thursday, stating that Musk was in line to receive a rundown of 20-30 slides detailing a potential war with China. Such operational plans are typically created by the Pentagon for emergency preparedness, not as an indicator of an imminent shooting war. The Wall Street Journal followed suit shortly afterwards, confirming the Times' report. Both publications have updated their articles, wiping clean the initial versions, but the original linguistics of such articles can still be found on archive websites.
News of the meeting raised eyebrows on Thursday night due to Musk's ties with China. As the Tesla CEO owns a gigantic auto factory in Shanghai and has been lauded by China for his stance on Taiwan, his views align with the Chinese government, which maintains that Taiwan should not be self-governing. Musk has also starred in propaganda videos on Chinese state media, celebrating the workers at his Shanghai factory.
Another reason Musk's briefing on potential Chinese conflict would be peculiar is his position as a defense contractor. SpaceX does a substantial amount of business with agencies like the National Reconnaissance Office and the Air Force. Gaining insights into a potential conflict with China would put his companies at a colossal advantage. It's downright frustrating that someone like Musk, who's built an empire on government funding (to the tune of at least $38 billion), can roam freely through federal agencies as if they belong to him.
Musk has shelled out at least a quarter of a billion dollars to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, which has proven quite lucrative. The billionaire has been given extraordinary access to the government and now leads a group called DOGE, which aims to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget without any congressional oversight. Musk's cronies have shut down USAID and sliced scientific research grants to the bone, with more illegal cuts promised on the horizon.
DVIDS, the U.S. military's media distribution service, posted photos promptly after Musk's meeting at the Pentagon, referring to the oligarch as a "visitor" instead of using a more fitting term like "infiltrator."
Ultimately, it seems Musk didn't get a classified briefing on potential conflict with China, as the Wall Street Journal reported that the briefing covered only "unclassified" matters. China was still discussed to some extent.
Trump denied Musk would get a briefing on the war plans on Thursday night, writing on Truth Social – in his usual over-the-top fashion – that it was "fake news" and insisted that "China will not even be mentioned or discussed." Trump continued his rant on Friday morning, writing that the New York Times was a "failed newspaper."
"Their absurd idea for this story is that because Elon does some business in China, that he is conflicted and would immediately go to top Chinese officials and 'spill the beans,'" Trump wrote. "CNN immediately picked up on this asinine and false story, which is likely defamatory."
It's not defamatory to report that a billionaire with extensive conflicts of interest is, well, entangled in conflicts of interest. But Trump, as we all know, just says things.
Musk himself weighed in on the controversy on X – the social media platform he acquired in late 2022, when it was still known as Twitter – and suggested that anyone leaking information about his meeting should be thrown in the slammer.
"The New York Times is pure propaganda. I'm also looking forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to the Times. They will be caught," Musk tweeted ominously.
That line – "they will be caught" – is the sort of threat that would sound empty if it were coming from any ordinary joe. But Musk isn't your ordinary joe anymore. He's morphed into some kind of co-president next to Trump, making decisions that will shape the government for generations. And there's hardly anything stopping him, given that the courts are too slow and Congress has allowed most of its power to drift away. Technically, a dude like Musk doesn't have the legal authority to close entire agencies. But laws are as false as they aren't enforced by folks with guns. And guys like Trump and Musk have all the guns now.
"It was always a great meeting," Musk said as he departed the Pentagon, according to the Journal. "I've been here before, you know." The Journal reports that Musk was asked a question as he and Pete Hegseth were leaving about what the men discussed. Musk's response: "Why should I tell you?"
- Despite popular belief, it's probable that Elon Musk's meeting at the Pentagon did not involve a classified briefing on a potential conflict with China, as confirmed by the Wall Street Journal.
- Elon Musk, with his extensive business dealings in China and ties to the government, could face significant advantages if he were privy to information about a potential conflict with China due to his defense contracting companies' business with agencies like the National Reconnaissance Office and the Air Force.
- As Musk leads a group aiming to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget, his access to federal agencies raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, considering his financial contributions to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and the significant amount of government funding he's received.
- Given Musk's campaigns against leaks and his tweet threatening prosecution of individuals leaking maliciously false information, it's possible that he may possess the power and influence to carry out such threats, particularly considering his growing connections with individuals like Trump, who wield significant authority.
