— I don't want to uncover it to anyone. (...) We do not want to wage a possible war with China, but I can tell you that if it had happened, we would have been very well prepared for it," said Trump in the Oval Office.
The president's comment came in connection with reports of Musk's visit to the Pentagon, where he met with defence minister Pete Hegseth on Friday morning. According to "NYT", Musk was to learn the details of the American plan at the Pentagon in the event of a possible conflict with China. Pentagon officials powerfully denied these reports on Thursday.
Musk called the reports "pure propaganda" and called for legal action against those who committed leaks.
"I look forward to pursuing those from the Pentagon who maliciously transmit false information to NYT. They will be found’ – wrote on X before gathering Hegseth.
New York Times spokesperson said the leak investigation "they aim to cool down communication between journalists and their sources and undermine the ability of the free press to disclose applicable information that could otherwise stay hidden".
Lucratic contracts Musk with the Department of Defence
Trump admitted that Musk had business interests in China, which could be a conflict of interest if he were informed of a possible war plan with this country.
According to CNN, a billionaire has access to top-secretity information.
A gathering at the Pentagon took place at a time erstwhile the Defence Ministry is considering crucial cuts in the highest ranks of the armed forces as part of Trump administration efforts to reduce government spending.
Hegseth explained that the Pentagon would cooperate with DOGE to detect fraud and waste in the department.
Musk has lucrative deals with the defence department. In October 2024, U.S. Space Force awarded its SpaceX company contracts for a $733 million start.
Neither Hegseth nor Musk responded to whether they talked about China during the gathering and whether it was a secret briefing. Hegseth, indago by the “New York Times” after Musk left, replied, “Why should I tell you about it?” Later, in the White House, he described the gathering as “fantastic”.
