Trump Denies NYT Report on Elon Musk’s Alleged Pentagon Briefing

President Donald Trump dismissed a New York Times report claiming that his adviser and DOGE chief, Elon Musk, would be briefed by the Pentagon on U.S. military plans for a potential war with China.

The report surfaced after Defense Chief Pete Hegseth confirmed that officials would meet with Musk on Friday to discuss “innovation, efficiencies, and smarter production.” However, Trump rejected any suggestion that the meeting involved military strategies, stating on Truth Social, “China will not even be mentioned or discussed.”

The New York Times cited sources claiming Musk would be briefed on U.S. war plans against China before they were presented to Trump. The report alleged that the briefing would include 20 to 30 slides detailing the U.S. military’s approach to a potential conflict.

Hegseth swiftly refuted the claims on X, writing: “We look forward to welcoming @elonmusk to the Pentagon tomorrow. 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. Gonna be great!”

Trump slammed the NYT report as “ridiculous”, accusing the media of fabricating lies. “How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies. Anyway, the story is completely untrue!!!” he wrote.

The controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny over Musk’s role in the Trump administration. Critics—particularly from the far-left—have raised concerns about Musk’s business ties in China and connections with the Pentagon. The White House has previously stated that Musk would recuse himself if any conflicts of interest arose.