A secret Pentagon meeting to brief Elon Musk on U.S. war plans with China was abruptly canceled — by direct order of Donald Trump, Axios reports.
The meeting, set for March 20, was scrapped after a New York Times leak sparked backlash inside the White House. Musk, invited despite lacking proper clearance, became the center of controversy due to his deep ties to China through Tesla.
Trump, furious over the leak, reportedly told staff: “What the f**k is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go.”
Originally, Musk was to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others for a classified briefing. But concerns over Musk’s China connections raised red flags, despite his role as a key defense contractor via SpaceX.
One official told Axios: “POTUS still loves Elon, but there are red lines.”
Publicly, Trump denied the story as “fake news,” but had already shut it down privately. Musk still showed up for a watered-down meeting — China was never mentioned.
Later, Trump admitted concerns over Musk’s Chinese business interests.
Musk fired back on X, demanding prosecution of Pentagon leakers. Soon after, two officials were suspended, with one escorted from the building.
The Pentagon leak probe has since expanded to other sensitive topics, including the Panama Canal and Ukraine.
It’s the latest twist in the volatile Trump–Musk dynamic — where even loyalty has its limits.