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President Donald Trump said the US is ‘very well-equipped to handle’ a potential war with China, while denying reports that Elon Musk was set to be briefed on the matter.
Trump brought up the US’s preparedness when a reporter questioned him about Musk’s visit to the Pentagon and how the agenda for it may have changed.
‘I don’t want anybody seeing potential war with China,’ said Trump on Friday afternoon.
‘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.’
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI/Shutterstock (15216179l) President Donald Trump announces that Boeing has won a contract for a new fighter jet, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on Friday, March 21, 2025. President Trump Announces Defense Contract at the White House, Washington, District of Columbia, United States - 21 Mar 2025
President Donald Trump spoke in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday (Picture: Shutterstock)
Trump continued that he would not want to share such information with Musk.
‘Certainly you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much, he’s a great patriot,’ the president said.
‘He’s taken, he’s paying a big price for helping us cut costs and he’s doing a great job, he’s finding tremendous waste, fraud and abuse.’
Trump pointed out that ‘Elon has businesses in China and he would be susceptible perhaps to that’.
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen during an event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 21, 2025. Trump announced the award to Boeing of a major contract for the Air Force's high-tech next-generation F-47 fighter plane. (Photo by Annabelle Gordon / AFP) (Photo by ANNABELLE GORDON/AFP via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump (left) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (right) listen during an event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC (Picture: Getty Images)
Earlier on Friday, Musk had an 80-minute meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Pentagon.
The New York Times reported ahead of the meeting that Musk was expected to be at a briefing in the Tank secure conference room with military leaders about the US’s plans on any war that could start with China. Instead, he met in Hegseth’s office.
The top-secret briefing on the war plan is 20 to 30 slides long, and Hegseth reportedly received part of it last week and another portion on Wednesday.
Trump called the Times report, which was confirmed by The Wall Street Journal, ‘such a fake story’.
Elon Musk leaves from the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 21, 2025 in this screengrab obtained from a video. REUTERS/Idrees Ali
Elon Musk leaves from the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Friday morning (Picture: Reuters)
Hegseth, who stood next to Trump in the Oval Office, also denied the report.
Trump said of Musk’s visit: ‘He’s there for DOGE, not there for China. And if you even mentioned China, I think he’d walk out of the room.’
Outside the Pentagon, Musk shook hands with Hegseth and told him, before departing: ‘If there’s anything I can do to be helpful, I’d like to see you.’
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