“You wouldn't show this to a businessman,” President Trump said, denying that Elon Musk was briefed on top secret plans for war with China.
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Elon Musk in Washington this month.
Over the past 24 hours, my colleagues’ revelation that Elon Musk is to be briefed on the military’s top-secret plans for war with China has rocked Washington. Even President Trump appears to have been taken by surprise.
Musk's planned visit to a secret room at the Pentagon was canceled after The Times published an article about the visit, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Trump denied this morning that the briefing was planned. But he also made clear that he did not think Musk should have access to such military plans.
“Of course you wouldn’t show that to a businessman who’s helping us like that,” Trump said. He added: “Elon has a business in China and he might be receptive to it.”
I called Eric Schmitt, the Times' national security reporter, who kindly stopped by one of the few Pentagon hallways with actual cell phone service, and asked him to fill us in on the situation.
JB: Let's start from the beginning. What did you learn yesterday about what was originally planned?
ES: This morning, the Pentagon was supposed to brief Musk on the classified war plan with China. We were told it would be in this secure conference room called the Tank, which is typically where high-level military briefings with members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or senior commanders take place. The idea that a civilian like Elon Musk, who is not part of the chain of command, would be getting any briefings in the Tank — let alone on highly classified war plans with China — was certainly unusual, and it alarmed some people.
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