Azernews.Az

Billionaire Elon Musk took his campaign to reduce U.S. federal government spending to a new level on Friday, holding an unusual top-level meeting at the Pentagon. Musk called for the prosecution of any Defense Department officials responsible for leaking what he called “maliciously false information” about his visit.

Musk, who holds several defense contracts with the U.S. government, met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for an 80-minute discussion. This was Musk’s first such engagement at the Pentagon, which manages a significant portion of the federal budget. It remains unclear whether U.S. generals participated virtually in the meeting.

A report from The New York Times stated that Musk was supposed to be briefed on confidential war plans related to China, but both Musk and former President Donald Trump denied this. Musk referred to the report as “pure propaganda” and demanded legal action against those who leaked the information.

On social media, Musk posted, "I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT. They will be found." In response, a New York Times spokesperson said that leak investigations are designed to suppress communications between journalists and their sources, ultimately undermining the role of a free press in uncovering important information.

Hegseth’s chief of staff released a memo later in the day, calling for an investigation into “unauthorized disclosures of national security information,” which could potentially involve the use of polygraph tests.

After the meeting, Trump commented at the White House, stating that the U.S. would not disclose potential war plans to anyone, especially not a businessman. He also hinted that Musk’s business interests in China might create a conflict of interest. “Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that,” Trump remarked.

Hegseth clarified that their discussion with Musk focused on innovation and improving efficiencies, denying any discussion of war plans with China. Following the controversy over the leaked report, a planned meeting between Musk and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon was called off.

Musk’s involvement with military plans would represent a significant expansion of his role, especially as a key advisor to Trump in efforts to reduce U.S. government spending.