Trump Denies Elon Musk Is Being "hit" By US Military War Plans In China

JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump denied a New York Times report that said his close person, Elon Musk, would be briefed by the Pentagon on Friday on US military plans for any war that might happen with China.

"China won't even be mentioned or discussed," Trump said in a post about the Pentagon meeting at Truth Social.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth separately said the meeting would discuss more intelligent innovation, efficiency and production.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said briefings for Musk would be attended by senior US military officials at the Pentagon and would be a general review of a number of different topics, including China.

According to a New York Times report, the briefing will cover 20 to 30 slides that explain how the United States will go to war in conflict with China. The newspaper quoted two unnamed US officials as saying.

Access to the military plan that is closely guarded will mark the sharp expansion of Musk's role as Trump's adviser who has spearheaded efforts to cut US government spending.

This will also spark questions about a conflict of interest for Musk, who is the leader of Tesla and SpaceX, has business interests in China and the Pentagon.

The White House previously said Musk would resign if there was a conflict of interest between his business affairs and his role in cutting federal government spending.

Washington and Beijing have had strained ties over the years due to differences ranging from access to technology, trade rates, and cybersecurity to TikTok, Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights, and the origins of COVID-19.