Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has “no business” conducting affairs at the Pentagon, amid reports Musk would receive secret information from top military officials Friday about military contingency plans should a war break out with China.
While The New York Times reported that Musk was set to receive military plans about any potential China conflict, the Pentagon and White House pushed back and said Musk’s briefing wouldn’t cover China.
“Elon Musk is an unelected, self-interested billionaire with no business anywhere near the Pentagon,” Gillibrand said in an X post Friday morning with a photo of the Times story, just after Musk arrived at the Pentagon. Gillibrand is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The possibility of Musk receiving information on China raises a possible conflict of interest, given the fact that Musk has financial interests in China stemming from Tesla, and SpaceX is working with the U.S. federal government on military space capabilities.
However, the Trump administration swiftly pushed back on the Times’ reporting, and Trump issued a post on social media discrediting the story as “completely untrue.”
“They said, incorrectly, that Elon Musk is going to the Pentagon tomorrow to be briefed on any potential ‘war with China.’ How ridiculous?” China will not even be mentioned or discussed,” President Donald Trump said in a Thursday night Truth Social post.
A former Obama administration official also sounded the alarm about Musk’s visit to the Pentagon.
Xochitl Hinojosa, who previously served as a spokesperson for former Attorney General Eric Holder and communications director for the Democratic National Committee, said that career officials must have disclosed the information about the meeting to the press because they were concerned about what would be shared with Musk.
“What is happening here, and everyone needs to be scared, is Pentagon officials are sounding the alarm,” Hinojosa said in an interview with CNN Thursday night. “This doesn’t just happen on its own. This has happened because career officials in the Pentagon are terrified. And they believe there is a conflict of interest. That is why it is in the New York Times. Because I am sure they took it to the senior most people within the White House and within the Pentagon and they didn’t do anything about it.”
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Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York raised concerns about Musk visiting the Pentagon, amid reports he’d receive information on a conflict with China. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Hinojosa said that during her time at the Justice Department, career officials would sound the alarm if they became aware of any unethical behavior at the agency.
“That is exactly what is happening here,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital.
The New York Times published a story Thursday evening claiming that Musk’s visit to the Pentagon would involve discussing plans in the event of a potential war with China. Specifically, the Times reported that the briefing involved a presentation with 20 to 30 slides on how the U.S. would combat China, various Chinese targets to strike and how the Pentagon would share these plans with Trump.
The Times also reported the meeting would occur in the so-called Tank, a secure conference room that the Joint Chiefs utilize for meetings, along with other senior staff and visiting combatant commanders.
Meanwhile, the Times report also noted that Musk may have needed to know information about plans for China as he eyes cutting the Pentagon’s budget amid his efforts leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
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Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back on the New York Times’ report about Elon Musk receiving insight into a war with China. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Pentagon war plans are highly confidential for operational security purposes. Should details regarding the U.S. military’s strategy to combat an enemy be shared or leaked in any way, it would jeopardize U.S. forces and undermine the success of the military campaign.
Hegseth also weighed in on the matter, and said the meeting with Musk would primarily center around innovation.
“But the fake news delivers again — this is NOT a meeting about ‘top secret China war plans.’ It’s an informal meeting about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production. Gonna be great!” Hegseth said in a post on X late Thursday evening.
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In response to Hegseth’s post, Musk responded: “Exactly. Also, I’ve been to the Pentagon many times over many years. Not my first time in the building.”
Musk also said in a separate post he looks “forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT.
“They will be found,” he said.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
