Trump condemns NYT for ‘ridiculous’ Musk ‘fake news’
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed a New York Times (NYT) report claiming that billionaire Elon Musk was set to attend a classified Pentagon briefing on potential military plans against China.
According to the NYT, Musk—who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and owns Tesla and X—was scheduled to visit the Defense Department on Friday to receive a confidential briefing on how the U.S. might respond to a conflict with Beijing. Citing unnamed officials, the report alleged that Musk would be shown sensitive materials, including 20 to 30 presentation slides detailing Washington’s strategic approach, from early threat assessments to targeting decisions.
A separate Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article echoed these claims, suggesting that Musk’s briefing would cover U.S. naval tactics and targeting strategies in a potential China conflict. Both publications raised concerns that the meeting could give Musk—whose business ties extend to China—an unfair advantage over competitors.
Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday night to refute the report, calling it “fake news” from the “failing New York Times.”
“They falsely claim that Elon Musk is going to the Pentagon for a briefing on a possible war with China. Completely ridiculous! China won’t even be mentioned. It’s disgraceful how the media keeps spreading lies,” Trump wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also denied the claims but confirmed Musk’s visit to the Pentagon.
“We’re excited to welcome Elon Musk tomorrow,” Hegseth posted on X. “But let’s be clear—this is NOT about ‘top secret China war plans.’ It’s an informal discussion on innovation, efficiency, and smarter production. Fake news strikes again!”
Musk himself weighed in, sharing Trump’s post and branding The New York Times as “pure propaganda.” He also called for an investigation into Pentagon officials allegedly leaking “maliciously false information” to the press.
While Musk’s meeting may not involve military strategies against Beijing, tensions between the U.S. and China remain high. The two nations are locked in disputes over Taiwan, military operations in the South China Sea, trade policies, and technological competition.
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