US President Donald Trump has denied reports that billionaire Elon Musk was shown secret US military plans for a possible war with China. Trump made this statement after Musk’s recent visit to the Pentagon, where he met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for over an hour on March 21.

“I don’t want to show it to anybody. You know you’re talking about a potential war with China,” Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office.

“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.”

The New York Times had reported that Musk was given a briefing on military plans, but Trump dismissed the claim as “fake.” Pentagon officials also denied the report.

Musk, who has business ties with China, is a special government employee under Trump and has top-secret security clearance. However, Trump acknowledged that Musk’s business interests could create a conflict if he were involved in discussions about a potential war.

“I don’t want to show that to anybody – but certainly, you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much,” the president said. “You know, Elon has businesses in China, and he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that – but it was such a fake story.”

During the Pentagon meeting, Hegseth mentioned that the Defense Department would work with Musk’s company, DOGE, to identify fraud and waste in the department.

Musk’s companies have major deals with the US government. In October 2024, SpaceX received a $733 million contract from the US Space Force for launch services.