Rama Krishna Sangem
US President Donald Trump can act against anyone, including his best friend Elon Musk. This is what has happened recently during a secret meeting on China.
Trump personally stepped in to stop Elon Musk from attending a highly classified China briefing, reportedly furious and demanding, “What the f— is Elon doing there?”
The US President ordered his staff to “make sure he doesn’t go” once he found out that Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX boss, was planning to attend, according to a report from Axios. Trump was reportedly worried about a possible conflict of interest because of Musk’s significant business ties with China, especially through his electric car company, Tesla.
A Trump administration official told Axios, “POTUS still very much loves Elon, but there are some red lines. Elon has a lot of business in China and he has good relations there, and this briefing just wasn’t the right thing.”
Musk’s expected presence at the secret briefing was first revealed by The New York Times on March 20. The meeting would have given him access to some of the most sensitive national security information, even as he plays a key role in Trump’s push to downsize the federal government through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
After The New York Times story broke, Trump quickly dismissed it on social media, calling it ‘fake news’ and labelling the report as “completely untrue”.
The Axios report adds to growing tension within the White House over Musk’s increasing influence inside Trump’s inner circle.
Musk to step back from frontline role
Earlier this month, Politico reported that Musk will gradually step back from his hands-on role, though he is expected to stay close to the administration. Vice President JD Vance reassured supporters that Musk will remain “a friend and adviser” to the US President.
Despite being blocked from the China meeting, Musk did attend a different Pentagon briefing on March 21, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. However, China was not discussed during that session.
Speaking at the White House the same day, Trump admitted that Musk could be “susceptible” because of his business ties with China, but again insisted the original news reports were “fake”.
