A top-secret Pentagon meeting meant to brief Elon Musk on the United States’ military plans in the event of war with China was suddenly shut down — and it turns out the order came straight from Donald Trump himself.
According to an explosive report from Axios, the classified meeting was derailed after The New York Times leaked its existence on March 20, triggering an intense wave of backlash inside the White House.
Musk, who had been invited to receive information far beyond his clearance level, found himself at the center of a major controversy.
Trump, furious behind closed doors, reportedly barked to his staff:
“What the f**k is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go,” Trump said, according to Axios.
The secret China briefing that wasn’t
Originally, Musk was set to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon officials for a sensitive national security briefing that would outline how the U.S. might engage in conflict with China.
But the plan raised red flags inside the administration, especially given Musk’s deep financial ties to China through Tesla — an issue that has long made officials uneasy. While Musk is a key defense contractor via SpaceX, his unique straddle between American military contracts and Chinese business interests caused alarm.
“POTUS still very much loves Elon,” one official told Axios, “but there are some red lines. Elon has a lot of business in China and he has good relations there, and this briefing just wasn’t the right thing.”
Trump’s public denial — but private fury
After the Times leak, Trump publicly dismissed the story as “fake news,” posting on Truth Social late at night:
“They said, incorrectly, that Elon Musk is going to the Pentagon tomorrow to be briefed on any potential ‘war with China.’ How ridiculous? … The story is completely untrue!!!”
But Axios reports that by the time Trump made that post, he had already ordered the briefing to be canceled.
Musk still showed up at the Pentagon the next day for a watered-down meeting with Hegseth — one in which China was not even discussed.
Yet Trump couldn’t help but show his hand. When pressed by reporters, he admitted concerns over Musk’s Chinese ties:
“I certainly wouldn’t want, you know — Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that.”
Musk fires back
Musk responded on X (formerly Twitter), slamming the leak and demanding accountability:
“I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT. They will be found.”
The fallout was immediate. According to Reuters and Politico, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suspended two top Pentagon officials — Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick — as part of the leak investigation. Selnick was even reportedly escorted out of the building.
And this leak wasn’t the only one under review. Politico reports the same probe is looking into leaked information regarding U.S. military plans for the Panama Canal, Red Sea operations, and intelligence collection in Ukraine.
What’s Next?
For now, the drama serves as another chaotic chapter in the tangled relationship between the world’s richest man and the most unpredictable president in modern history. Trump may “still love Elon,” but even affection has its limits — especially when it comes to briefing billionaires on classified war plans.
