"Trump Likes Musk, but There Are Lines That Should Not Be Crossed"
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, was reportedly prevented from receiving a briefing last month at the U.S. Department of Defense about war plans with China due to an order from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to foreign media reports.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.
On the 16th (local time), U.S. internet media Axios reported that President Trump personally instructed White House aides to halt the briefing that Musk was scheduled to receive regarding the Department of Defense's preparations for a potential war with China.
Previously, on the 21st of last month, Musk was scheduled to visit the Department of Defense to receive a briefing on the operational plan called 'O-Plan' in the event of a war with China. This operational plan is known to be one of the most tightly guarded secrets within the Department of Defense.
However, when news of the planned briefing surfaced the day before, President Trump and the Department of Defense denied that any such briefing was planned. Musk still visited the Department of Defense as scheduled but did not receive the briefing on the China war plan.
The cancellation of the briefing was speculated to be due to concerns over conflicts of interest, as Musk, who leads the government efficiency department (DOGE) and runs the space company SpaceX, could gain an overwhelmingly advantageous position in future business discussions with the Department of Defense if he were to learn about the war plans, even though he had already been granted access to classified information.
Regarding this, a government official told Axios that President Trump personally ordered the briefing to be canceled. According to this source, President Trump questioned, "What on earth is Musk doing there?" in relation to the scheduled briefing between Musk and the Department of Defense and said, "Don't let him go."
A U.S. government official stated, "President Trump likes Musk very much, but there are some lines that should not be crossed," adding, "Musk conducts a lot of business in China and has good relations with China. This briefing was inappropriate."
Earlier, on the 21st of last month when Musk visited the Department of Defense, President Trump denied reports about the briefing on war plans with China, calling them 'fake news.' He said, "You are talking about a potential war with China," and added, "I do not want to show that to anyone, especially not to Musk, who has helped us a lot." He further stated, "He does business in China. He is probably sensitive about that."
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