Trump Dismisses Claim That Musk Will Be Briefed on Plans for Potential War With China

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The defense secretary said he looked forward to welcoming Musk to the Pentagon for ‘an informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.’

President Donald Trump said a New York Times story reporting that Elon Musk will be briefed at the Pentagon on U.S. military plans for a potential war with China is “fake news” and “completely untrue.”

The report, which cited multiple anonymous U.S. officials, said Musk would be given a presentation of the plans by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top U.S. military leaders including Adm. Christopher W. Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“The Fake News is at it again, this time the Failing New York Times,” Trump wrote in a March 20 post on the social media platform Truth Social. “They said, incorrectly, that Elon Musk is going to the Pentagon tomorrow to be briefed on any potential ‘war with China.’ How ridiculous?”

Trump added that China “will not even be mentioned or discussed,” when Musk, a special adviser to the president, visits the Pentagon on March 21.

“How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies,” Trump added. “Anyway, the story is completely untrue!!!”

Hegseth wrote on social media platform X that he looked forward to welcoming Musk to the Pentagon for “an informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production” that would not be “a meeting about ’top secret China war plans.’”

“The fake news delivers again,” Hegseth added.

The story also prompted a response from the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson Sean Parnell, who wrote on the social media platform X that the report was “brazenly & maliciously wrong.”

“Elon Musk is a patriot,” Parnell said. “We are proud to have him at the Pentagon.”

Democratic lawmakers and other groups have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest Musk may have because of his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), given his stakes in electric vehicle maker Tesla and SpaceX, a U.S. space technology company and major aerospace contractor for the federal government.

Through DOGE, Musk is leading the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of government and make sure each agency’s mission is in line with the president’s “America First” vision, an objective the president has emphasized in multiple executive orders.

Among those questioning Musk’s role is Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who has called for the White House to release Musk’s financial disclosure report. He said that as a special government employee, the businessman is subject to federal conflict of interest laws that bar government workers from participating in matters in which they have a financial interest.
The White House has previously said that Musk is a “special government employee” under the Trump administration and acts only as an adviser.

White House officials have also said Musk will recuse himself if any conflicts of interest arise between his business dealings and his role in cutting federal government spending.

Musk has vowed to remain transparent with the American public, telling a White House press briefing on Feb. 11 that you “can’t have an autonomous federal bureaucracy,” and “you have to have one that’s responsive to the people.”
Musk visited the National Security Agency (NSA) on March 12, one week after saying the intelligence agency “needs an overhaul.”

NSA Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, who is also the commander of the U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), hosted Musk during his first visit to the agency, an NSA spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

“NSA and CYBERCOM are focused on the President, [secretary of defense], and [director of national intelligence’s] priorities; meetings with key advisors ensure we are aligned,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The New York Times story comes as tensions between Washington and Beijing have increased in recent years amid differences over technology, trade tariffs, and cybersecurity, as well as Taiwan and the origins of COVID-19.

There are no signs a war is imminent between the two nations.

The Epoch Times contacted the White House, The New York Times, and SpaceX for comment.

Jacob Burg and Reuters contributed to this report.

Original News Source Link – Epoch Times

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