Trump Rejects Claim Musk Was Shown Top-Secret China War Plans

Donald Trump said yesterday that plans for possible war with China should not be shared with Elon Musk because of his business interests, a rare admission that the billionaire faces conflicts of interests in his role as a senior adviser to the US president.

- Lauren Aratani Joseph Gedeon Washington

Trump rejected reports that Musk would be briefed on how the US would fight a hypothetical war with China, saying: "Elon has businesses in China. And he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that."

The reference to Musk's businesses - including the EV manufacturer Tesla, which is trying to expand sales and production in China - is an unusual acknowledgment of concerns about balancing his corporate and government responsibilities. Trump had previously brushed off questions about Musk's potential conflicts of interest, saying he would steer clear when necessary.

The president said that Musk visited the Pentagon yesterday morning to discuss reducing costs, which he has been working on through the so-called "department of government efficiency" (Doge). The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said Musk was there "to talk about efficiencies, to talk about innovations".

Musk said while leaving the Pentagon that he was ready to do "anything that could be helpful". He also refused to answer questions as to whether he received a classified briefing on China as part of the visit.