Pentagon to brief Musk on top-secret war plans for China: Report

In a development that has raised concerns around national security and conflict of interest, the US Department of Defense is set to brief Elon Musk on plans for a potential war with China, according to The New York Times.

Musk, the world’s richest man, has emerged as the most powerful politician in the United States next only to President Donald Trump. After bankrolling his 2024 election campaign, Musk joined the administration. Initially, he was said to be the head of Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), but his exact formal role and decision-making powers remain uncertain even as he has practically seized control of the US government.

The Times has reported that Musk will be briefed about US plans for a war with China by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top US generals on Friday.

Musk has no formal national security- or military-related role in the US government. The access to the nation’s top secret war plans would be an extraordinary boost to his power which is already without a parallel at least in the living memory. Instead, he has deep conflicts of interests as the owner of SpaceX, which receives several billions annually in defence contracts. The company is so well integrated with the Defense Department that China has dubbed it as an extension of the US military.

While the Pentagon did not confirm that the visit would include a briefing on top-secret plans, it confirmed that Musk would indeed be visiting.

“The Defense Department is excited to welcome Elon Musk to the Pentagon on Friday. He was invited by Secretary Hegseth and is just visiting,” said Pentagon’s chief spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement to The Times.

Musk to know deepest US secrets

With the knowledge of US war plans regarding China, the top US adversary, Musk would know some of the deepest secrets of the nation.

For a long time, Musk had not been granted high-level security clearance because of his alleged drug use and deep links with China. Critics of Musk say that his extensive business interests in China and ties with Chinese leaders have fundamentally compromised him. An adversary like China knowing US war plans would be damning for the US ability to fight wars. It would not just allow China to boost defences to counter US attacks but find chinks in US armour and plan offensives.

The Times reported that the China war plan has about 20-30 slides that lay out how the United States would wage a war with China. These slides include how the war could begin with indications and warnings of a threat and presenting the president with various options and the timeline for attacks.

Defense Secretary Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Acting Chairman Admiral Christopher W Grady, and Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. Samuel J Paparo will brief Musk, according to the newspaper.