New York, March 22
In a sign of US President Donald Trump pulling back Elon Musk’s overreach, the President has acknowledged his possible conflict of interest after his reported briefing on US war plans for China was scrapped.
“Certainly, you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much. Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible perhaps to that”, Trump told reporters on Friday after the cancelation.
The world’s richest man and a Trump benefactor to the tune of millions, Musk has big business interests in China, which is a hub for his Tesla car manufacture.
Some of the several companies he owns have contracts with the Defence department.
About the war plans, Trump said, “I don’t want to show it to anybody. You know you’re talking about a potential war with China”.
“We don’t want to have a potential war with China, but I can tell you, if we did, we’re very well equipped to handle it”, he added.
The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times had reported independently that according to officials Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, was to receive a classified briefing on the US military’s plans for a war with China.
Trump, the White House, and the Pentagon denied such a meeting was scheduled.
Even as he said that such information should not be shared with Musk, Trump called the reports “fake”.