Trump: Report Musk will be briefed on China war plans 'completely untrue'
President Trump late Thursday brushed off claims that tech billionaire Elon Musk would be briefed on potential war plans related to China during an upcoming meeting at the Pentagon, calling the notion "completely untrue."
"The Fake News is at it again, this time the Failing New York Times. They said, incorrectly, that Elon Musk is going to the Pentagon tomorrow to be briefed on any potential 'war with China.' How ridiculous?” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"China will not even be mentioned or discussed," he continued. "How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies. Anyway, the story is completely untrue!!!"
Trump added in a subsequent post that the "FAKE concept for this story is that because Elon does some business in China, that he is very conflicted and would immediately go to top Chinese officials and 'spill the beans.'"
"Elon is NOT BEING BRIEFED ON ANYTHING CHINA BY THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR!!!"
Trump was responding to reporting from The New York Times, which cited administration officials in saying the meeting would focus on U.S.-China relations.
The China war plan consists of about 20-30 slides laying out how the U.S. would fight should a conflict arise, the Times reported. It also includes a timeline from the warning of a threat from Beijing to various options on targets to hit to the best times to execute those plans, according to the news outlet, which added that it would later be presented to the president.
Pentagon spokesperson Steve Parnell also dismissed the reporting in a post on the social platform X.
"This is 100% Fake News. Just brazenly & maliciously wrong," he wrote. "Elon Musk is a patriot. We are proud to have him at the Pentagon."
The developments come after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed to meet with Musk on Friday to discuss “innovation, efficiencies & smarter production," he wrote late Thursday on X, while also pushing back on the Times report.
"We look forward to welcoming @elonmusk to the Pentagon tomorrow," the Defense chief added.
"But the fake news delivers again — this is NOT a meeting about 'top secret China war plans.' It’s an informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production," he wrote. "Gonna be great!
Musk has been in the hot seat since advising the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) controversial work to overhaul the federal government and reduce its workforce. His presence at various official events, including the first meeting of Trump's Cabinet, has raised eyebrows about how much influence he has on the president.
Hegseth earlier Thursday announced the Pentagon is canceling more than $580 million in grants and contracts that were deemed "wasteful spending." These cuts are part of the administration's work with Musk and DOGE, he said, and the programs were deemed deemed "inconsistent" with Trump's priorities.
"In other words, they are not a good use of taxpayer dollars,” the secretary said in a video posted to X.
The reduction comes just days after a senior defense official told reporters that the Defense Department intends to cut 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs — roughly 5 to 8 percent of the civilian workforce — over the next several months via voluntary resignations. The Pentagon will not replace the workers who choose to leave, according to the official.
Trump and Hegseth, who has been a vocal ally of DOGE, are expected to give joint remarks from the White House on Friday.
"We stand behind our reporting," a New York Times spokesperson told The Hill in a statement.
Updated at 8:02 a.m. EDT
-
Trump and Pentagon officials deny Elon Musk got China war plan briefing
Tech billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk is scheduled to visit the Pentagon on Friday for a briefing that will include a discussion on China, according to three defense officials.NBC News - 8h -
Trump sharply denies Musk China briefing, citing business conflicts
President Trump on Friday denied that his administration would show billionaire Elon Musk details of the Pentagon’s planning for a potential war with China, citing Musk’s various business dealings ...The Hill - 3h -
Trump admin live updates: Trump calls Tesla dealership vandals terrorists
Trump continued to deny a report that Elon Musk was going to receive a briefing on a top-secret military plan for a potential war with China.ABC News - 10m -
Trump denies Elon Musk will be briefed on China at Pentagon
Elon Musk is set to make a high-profile visit to the Pentagon on Friday as U.S. defense officials tell NBC News he is expected to get an unclassified briefing that will include China. Trump denies ...NBC News - 7h -
Pentagon Set Up Briefing for Musk on Potential War With China
The access would be a major expansion of Elon Musk’s government role and highlight his conflicts of interest.The New York Times - 15h -
Trump makes rare admission of Musk’s conflicts of interest after Pentagon visit
President says plans for potential war with China would not be shared with billionaire due to his business interests. US politics live – latest updates Donald Trump said on Friday that plans ...The Guardian - 1h -
Pentagon changed Musk visit after report about him viewing China war plans: Officials
A U.S. official had told ABC News that Musk was expected to attend a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff that, among its topics, would touch on China.ABC News - 4m -
Elon Musk meets defence officials in Pentagon visit
The White House denied media reports that he would receive a briefing on classified reports about China.BBC News - 2h -
3/21: CBS Morning News
President Trump denies New York Times report Elon Musk will be briefed on China war plan; How to keep your data safe at the airport.CBS News - 4h
More from The Hill
-
CBO projects deficits will sharply rise if Trump tax cuts made permanent
New projections from Congress’s official legislative scorer show deficit levels will explode if the Trump tax cuts are made permanent and not simply extended. In response to a inquiry from Ways and ...The Hill - 25m -
Rubio slams CNN report he's 'frustrated' by Witkoff's role
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday slammed a CNN report claiming he is "frustrated" by the role one of President Trump’s closest friends, billionaire Steve Witkoff, is playing in the ...The Hill - 31m -
Trump says ‘contract’ being drafted on ‘dividing up’ land in Ukraine war
President Trump said that “contracts” are being negotiated to divide up land as part of a final deal ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and reiterated that a ceasefire could come “pretty soon.” “They ...The Hill - 31m -
Voice of America deserves criticism, but let’s fix it to tell America’s story
VOA has been struggling to fulfill its mission as a federal agency, with budget cuts, remote work, while also facing criticism for its lack of objectivity and bias in its reporting. Allow a ...The Hill - 40m -
Florida Democratic candidates comfortably outraise GOP opponents in special election
The two Democrats running in special elections to fill vacant House seats in Florida overwhelmingly outraised their Republican opponents despite being long shots to win early next month. Democrats ...The Hill - 45m
More in Politics
-
CBO projects deficits will sharply rise if Trump tax cuts made permanent
New projections from Congress’s official legislative scorer show deficit levels will explode if the Trump tax cuts are made permanent and not simply extended. In response to a inquiry from Ways and ...The Hill - 25m -
Rubio slams CNN report he's 'frustrated' by Witkoff's role
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday slammed a CNN report claiming he is "frustrated" by the role one of President Trump’s closest friends, billionaire Steve Witkoff, is playing in the ...The Hill - 31m -
Trump says ‘contract’ being drafted on ‘dividing up’ land in Ukraine war
President Trump said that “contracts” are being negotiated to divide up land as part of a final deal ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and reiterated that a ceasefire could come “pretty soon.” “They ...The Hill - 31m -
Voice of America deserves criticism, but let’s fix it to tell America’s story
VOA has been struggling to fulfill its mission as a federal agency, with budget cuts, remote work, while also facing criticism for its lack of objectivity and bias in its reporting. Allow a ...The Hill - 40m -
Florida Democratic candidates comfortably outraise GOP opponents in special election
The two Democrats running in special elections to fill vacant House seats in Florida overwhelmingly outraised their Republican opponents despite being long shots to win early next month. Democrats ...The Hill - 45m