Headline Roundup • March 22nd, 2025
Trump Denies Plans to Share War Strategies with Elon Musk
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied a New York Times (Lean Left bias) report that Elon Musk would receive a top-secret briefing on potential military conflict plans with China on Friday.
The Details: Musk did hold a meeting with Hegseth at the Pentagon, but Trump and Hegseth said that the meeting was an informal discussion about innovation and production efficiencies. The Times report, based on anonymous US officials, suggested that Musk was to be included in a Department of Defense briefing about US military plans in the event of a war with China. However, Trump, Musk, and top DoD officials have labeled the report as “fake news.” Musk responded to the Times article, calling it “pure propaganda” and saying he looks forward to seeing Petagon employees leaking false information prosecuted.
For Context: Trump mentioned showing Musk the plans would be a conflict of interest. "I don't want anyone seeing potential war with China. You certainly wouldn't show that to a businessman. Elon has businesses in China and he would perhaps be susceptible to that," he said. The back-and-forth comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China, particularly concerning the Trump administration's vocal support of Taiwan.
How The Media Covered It: The Daily Caller (Right) emphasized the Trump administration's denial of the report, noting that the Wall Street Journal (Center) reported a similar story citing an anonymous source. The New York Daily News (Left) focused on Musk's visit to the Pentagon but also highlighted Trump's denial of the report.
Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission.
Featured Coverage of this Story
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.
President Donald Trump’s administration shot down a report by The New York Times that Elon Musk visited the Pentagon Friday for a briefing on a potential war with China.
The NYT reported Thursday that the purpose of Musk’s visit was related to the “U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China,” according to two anonymous “U.S. officials.” However, Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell and other administration officials pushed back on the report, calling it “completely fake,” with Hegseth clarifying that the visit was instead an “informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies &...
Doug Mills/The New York Times
The Pentagon was scheduled on Friday to brief Elon Musk on the U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China, two U.S. officials said on Thursday.
Another official said the briefing would be China focused, without providing additional details. A fourth official confirmed Mr. Musk was to be at the Pentagon on Friday, but offered no details.
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