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Daniel Hampton
March 20, 2025
RAW STORY
A new report drew considerable alarm and some mockery from social media observers as the Pentagon plans to brief tech billionaire Elon Musk on military plans in the event of a possible war with China.
Two U.S. officials confirmed the scheduled meeting to the New York Times. A third official said the briefing would focus on China, while a fourth confirmed only that Musk – President Donald Trump’s top campaign donor and head of his Department of Government Efficiency – was lined up to be at the Pentagon on Friday.
Giving Musk, the world’s richest man, inside details “to some of the nation’s most closely guarded military secrets would be a dramatic expansion of his already extensive role as an adviser to President Trump and leader of his effort to slash spending and purge the government of people and policies they oppose,” according to the Times.
The Pentagon's operational plans "are among the military’s most closely guarded secrets,” the report noted.
Stunned social media critics blasted the decision — while some said it was just par for the course with Donald Trump.
Mike Boylan-Kolchin, an astrophysicist and professor at the University of Texas, joked on Bluseky: "There’s a decent shot that he casually posts these on Twitter because he’s bored or hopped up on goofballs."
David Rothkopf, columnist at The Daily Beast, wrote on Bluesky: "This is insane. In a time when lunacy dominates our headlines this is more screamingly demented and dangerous than almost anything we've seen so far. Musk--friend of Putin, business partner of China, ketamine taking white supremacist--is being given our war plans?"
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie joked on Bluesky: "yeah makes sense, he’s the president," referring to Musk.
Frank Figliuzzi, senior national security and intelligence analyst at NBC News, warned on Bluesky, "A clear and present danger," referring to Musk.
The anti-Trump social media account Republicans Against Trumpism lamented on Bluesky, "This. Is. Not. Normal."
Matt Novak, tech reporter at Gizmodo, noted on Bluesky, "Musk is a defense contractor and has a factory in China. The fact that he’s going to get a briefing like this is truly failed state territory."
Kate Conger, tech reporter for the New York Times, questioned on Bluesky: "Is it good to give the China war plan to Elon Musk, or...."
"Steve Bannon gotta be so p----- rn," chided Julia Carrie Wong, senior reporter at The Guardian US.
She added: "I don’t really know all the geopolitics of this but I do know that Elon musk has factories in China and a funny little tendency to suggest that it doesn’t really make sense for Taiwan to be independent and Steve Bannon is a huge China hawk who’s gonna flip his gourd.
In another post, she warned: "seriously China has enormous leverage over musk it’s his biggest market and he relies on govt support for his factories etc this is flipping insane."
Alarm as Elon Musk gets access to top-secret plan for war with China
Erik De La Garza
March 20, 2025
RAW STORY
Elon Musk displays a chainsaw given to him by President of Argentina Javier Milei during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., February 20, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Elon Musk is set to receive a briefing at the Pentagon on Friday over top-secret U.S.-China war plans, The New York Times reported late Thursday.
The Times spoke with two U.S. officials who confirmed the scheduled meeting. A third official said the briefing would focus on China, while a fourth confirmed only that Musk – President Donald Trump’s top campaign donor and head of his Department of Government Efficiency – was lined up to be at the Pentagon on Friday.
Giving Musk, the world’s richest man, inside details “to some of the nation’s most closely guarded military secrets would be a dramatic expansion of his already extensive role as an adviser to President Trump and leader of his effort to slash spending and purge the government of people and policies they oppose,” according to the Times.
It also puts yet another spotlight on his conflicts of interests, the report noted, adding that in addition to his free range across the federal government, he continues to run businesses with deep government contracts.
“In this case, Mr. Musk, the billionaire chief executive of both SpaceX and Tesla, is a leading supplier to the Pentagon and has extensive financial interests in China,” the report said. It added that “Pentagon war plans, known in military jargon as O-plans or operational plans, are among the military’s most closely guarded secrets.”
Any leaks to foreign countries could make the plans “far less likely to succeed,” according to the Times. Musk’s top-secret briefing is expected to consist of about 20 to 30 slides that lay out how the U.S. would respond militarily to a conflict with China.
“It covers the plan beginning with the indications and warning of a threat from China to various options on what Chinese targets to hit, over what time period, that would be presented to Mr. Trump for decisions, according to officials with knowledge of the plan,” the Times reported.
Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, raised concerns about Musk's access to the Times.
“Musk at a war-planning briefing?” he said. “Giving the CEO of one defense company unique access seems like this could be grounds for a contract protest and is a real conflict of interest.”
'Fake News is at it again': Trump lashes out as he blasts 'disgraceful' NYT report
Daniel Hampton
March 20, 2025
RAW STORY
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
President Donald Trump lashed out at The New York Times late Thursday after the paper reported tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to receive a briefing on top-secret military plans in the event of a war with China.
The Times said it spoke with two U.S. officials who confirmed the scheduled meeting on Friday. A third official said the briefing would focus on China, while a fourth confirmed only that Musk – Trump’s top campaign donor and head of his Department of Government Efficiency – was lined up to be at the Pentagon on Friday.
Giving Musk, the world’s richest man, inside details “to some of the nation’s most closely guarded military secrets would be a dramatic expansion of his already extensive role as an adviser to President Trump and leader of his effort to slash spending and purge the government of people and policies they oppose,” the Times wrote.
The Pentagon's operational plans "are among the military’s most closely guarded secrets,” the report noted.
The report left social media critics aghast, leading to a deluge of criticism against the Trump administration.
But Trump hit back at the Times, taking to his Truth Social platform to say, "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? China will not even be mentioned or discussed. How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies. Anyway, the story is completely untrue!!!"
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
President Donald Trump lashed out at The New York Times late Thursday after the paper reported tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to receive a briefing on top-secret military plans in the event of a war with China.
The Times said it spoke with two U.S. officials who confirmed the scheduled meeting on Friday. A third official said the briefing would focus on China, while a fourth confirmed only that Musk – Trump’s top campaign donor and head of his Department of Government Efficiency – was lined up to be at the Pentagon on Friday.
Giving Musk, the world’s richest man, inside details “to some of the nation’s most closely guarded military secrets would be a dramatic expansion of his already extensive role as an adviser to President Trump and leader of his effort to slash spending and purge the government of people and policies they oppose,” the Times wrote.
The Pentagon's operational plans "are among the military’s most closely guarded secrets,” the report noted.
The report left social media critics aghast, leading to a deluge of criticism against the Trump administration.
But Trump hit back at the Times, taking to his Truth Social platform to say, "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? China will not even be mentioned or discussed. How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies. Anyway, the story is completely untrue!!!"
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