The D Brief: Musk visits Pentagon; NGAD decision?; Navy’s frigate mess; Germany ups spending; And a bit more.
Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston | March 21, 2025 11:06 AM ET
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Elon Musk is visiting the Pentagon today after he reportedly requested a private briefing on the U.S. military’s war plans with China, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post reported Thursday.
The Times cited two unnamed officials in its initial report, which it later updated: “Hours after news of the planned meeting was published by The New York Times, Pentagon officials and President Trump denied that the session would be about military plans involving China. ‘China will not even be mentioned or discussed,’ Mr. Trump said in a late-night social media post.”
WSJ: “The Trump adviser had been originally set to receive a top-secret briefing on [the] war plan but revelations of the meeting caused a change of course.”
The Post had also been told that Musk’s briefing would include information about China, a major market for the billionaire carmaker. “In seeking friendly governments for his business interests, Musk has cozied up to Beijing to broaden the market and production for his Tesla electric vehicles. That relationship poses a problem for the Pentagon, which under Trump in 2018 established China as its primary adversary,” the Post continued.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/03/the-d-brief-march-21-2025/403948/?oref=d1-featured-river-top
