Special Poll
Elon Musk met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday following public denials by President Trump and senior officials that Musk was scheduled to receive a classified briefing related to potential military conflict with China. The visit came amid heightened speculation after major media outlets reported that the billionaire would be briefed on top-secret Pentagon plans. Those reports were strongly refuted by the administration.
Musk’s role as a senior adviser to the president, combined with the fact that his companies—particularly SpaceX—hold large government contracts, has raised questions from lawmakers and ethics experts about potential conflicts of interest. SpaceX has agreements with both NASA and the Pentagon, making Musk’s access to sensitive information a matter of public interest.
Despite media claims, multiple sources confirmed Musk only attended an unclassified meeting at the Pentagon. President Trump stated that Musk’s visit was related to his leadership in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is focused on cutting federal waste and streamlining operations. Trump reiterated that discussions about China were not on the agenda and dismissed the reports as completely false.
Musk briefly spoke to reporters outside the Pentagon, describing the meeting as positive and routine. “Always a great meeting. I’ve been here before, you know,” he said. When asked directly about the conversation, Defense Secretary Hegseth declined to elaborate, responding, “Why would I tell you?”
Reports earlier in the week from major outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, suggested that Musk could be given access to U.S. war planning due to his unique role and business connections. These stories raised concerns that, as the head of Tesla—which relies heavily on China for production—Musk could potentially benefit from information unavailable to competitors.
In response, Trump took to Truth Social to label the coverage “Fake News” and “ridiculous,” stating that China would not be discussed at all and that the story was “completely untrue.” Musk also responded on social media, calling for the prosecution of those at the Pentagon whom he accused of leaking false information.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also weighed in, defending Musk as a patriot and rejecting the reporting as completely inaccurate. Hegseth reinforced that the meeting was focused solely on innovation, efficiencies, and smarter production—not top-secret planning.
As of now, representatives from the White House, Pentagon, SpaceX, and Tesla have not provided additional comments. The meeting and the controversy surrounding it continue to raise important questions about transparency, national security, and the role of private sector leaders in government operations.