President Donald Trump shared details about Elon Musk's meeting at the Pentagon after announcing plans for a new F-47 fighter jet March 21, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
Musk and China could be a conflict of interest, given Tesla’s business dealings with China and SpaceX’s relationship with the Pentagon on military space capabilities. And an adversary like China learning details about the U.S. military's war plans could put national security at risk and undermine U.S. forces.
But Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Musk’s meeting at the Pentagon centered around DOGE, innovation and other ways to advance efficiency, not China.
"There was no war plans. There was no Chinese war plans," Hegseth said at the White House Friday. "There was no secret plans. That's not what we were doing at the Pentagon."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said March 21, 2025, that Elon Musk's meeting at the Pentagon was related to the billionaire's work with the Department of Government Efficiency. (Reuters/Kent Nishimura/File Photo)
The Times report said details on China could have been shared with Musk amid his efforts leading DOGE and possible cuts to the Department of Defense.
The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump's remarks when asked for comment about the nature of Musk's briefing.
Trump and Hegseth pushed back on the report Thursday, with Trump describing the report as "completely untrue." Hegseth also said in a post on X the meeting with Musk would primarily touch on innovation.
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In response to Hegseth’s post, Musk responded, "Exactly. Also, I’ve been to the Pentagon many times over many years. Not my first time in the building."
Musk also said in a separate post he looks "forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT."
"They will be found," he said.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/musk-never-briefed-china-war-plans-pentagon-meeting-trump-hegseth-say