New Delhi: Elon Musk stated that Pentagon personnel who communicated with reporters from the New York Times should face prosecution, following the newspaper’s report that he was scheduled to receive a briefing on the U.S. military’s strategies regarding a potential conflict with China.
“The New York Times is nothing but propaganda,” Musk remarked in a post on his social media platform, X, on Friday. “I also anticipate the prosecution of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to the NYT. They will be identified.”
Musk’s remarks followed a denial from former President Donald Trump regarding the report about his close associate.
“China will not even be mentioned or discussed,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social on Thursday concerning the upcoming meeting.
The New York Times has not yet responded to a request for comment.
A U.S. official, who requested anonymity, informed Reuters that the briefing for Musk would involve senior military officials at the Pentagon and would cover various topics, including China.
Gaining access to a highly classified military plan would significantly broaden Musk’s role as a Trump advisor, particularly in his efforts to reduce U.S. government expenditures.
This situation also raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest for Musk, who, as the leader of Tesla and SpaceX, has business ties in China and with the Pentagon.
The White House has previously indicated that Musk would step back if any conflicts of interest emerged between his business activities and his responsibilities in reducing federal spending.
Last week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that she had initiated an investigation into leaks within the intelligence community and is also examining internal chat rooms for any employee misconduct.
In the course of Trump’s initial term, his administration submitted a greater number of media leak cases for criminal investigation annually than any other year in the preceding 15 years. This information was disclosed in 2021 by the Justice Department to the independent oversight organization, Project on Government Oversight, as part of a response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
