Trump Criticizes Media Reports on Musk’s Pentagon Visit
News Desk
Islamabad: President Donald Trump stated on Friday that Elon Musk should not have access to top-secret U.S. war plans, particularly regarding a potential conflict with China. This rare admission highlighted concerns over Musk’s business ties and potential conflicts of interest.
Trump strongly refuted media reports suggesting that Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, would be briefed by the Pentagon on military strategies. Musk, who has significant business interests in China, also holds major U.S. defense contracts, leading to questions about his influence as an unelected advisor to Trump.
“I don’t want to share it with anyone,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You’re talking about a potential war with China. Certainly, you wouldn’t share it with a businessman who’s so involved… Elon has businesses in China and could be susceptible to that.”
Trump, who was unveiling a contract for Boeing to build the next-generation F-47 fighter jet, praised Musk as a “patriot” and acknowledged his efforts to reduce government spending, including cuts to the Defense Department.
Despite Musk’s presence at the Pentagon on Friday, Trump rejected media reports, particularly from The New York Times, which claimed that Musk would receive a briefing on military strategies in a secure Pentagon room known as “The Tank.” The briefing was reportedly canceled after the information became public.
Musk, who has significant business connections with China, was criticized in the past for his role in producing Tesla vehicles at a large Shanghai factory and his competition with Chinese manufacturers. Musk has also made comments suggesting Taiwan should be part of China, which further fueled tensions.
In the U.S., Trump has downplayed concerns over Musk’s conflicts of interest, even as Musk leads a major overhaul of U.S. government agencies, some of which have dealings with his companies. Musk’s SpaceX holds U.S. government defense contracts worth billions of dollars, including for launching rockets and operating the Starlink satellite service.
Trump also defended Musk amidst criticisms of his ties to the White House, even promoting Tesla cars in the face of vandalism attacks on the company. Trump suggested that those responsible for the attacks could be deported to prisons in El Salvador.
Meanwhile, Democrats have criticized Trump for delegating policy to Musk without proper background checks, especially considering Musk’s companies’ government contracts.
