US President Donald Trump said on Monday that his federal spending-cutting adviser Elon Musk should not have access to military plans related to China because he has business interests in the country, a rare admission that the billionaire's extensive role in Trump's Republican administration could face limits.
Trump made the comment in the Oval Office of the White House during a meeting on the development of a new fighter jet, and rejected claims that Musk would be briefed on how the US would fight a potential war with China.
"Elon has businesses in China. So, maybe, he would be influenced by that," the Republican president said.
Trump has spoken positively of Musk as a patriot. But Trump's mention of Musk's business ventures - including Tesla, his electric vehicle company that wants to expand sales and production to China - is an unusual acknowledgement of concerns about how Musk balances his corporate interests with his duties in the US government.
The US president has previously dismissed suggestions about Musk's potential conflict of interest, saying the billionaire would steer clear if he were to find himself in such a situation.
Trump said Musk visited the Pentagon today to discuss cost reductions he is working on through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Musk was there "to talk about efficiency, to talk about innovation."
Musk, as he left the Pentagon, said he was willing to do "anything that could be of help," a CNN video report shows.
The billionaire refused to answer a journalist's question about whether he was privy to classified information related to China during his visit to the Pentagon.
Musk is an important part of the Trump administration's efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the US federal government.
However, his chainsaw-like method, which includes mass layoffs and program cuts, is facing resistance from some US congressmen and voters, although Trump supporters praise it.
A senior official told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Defense will lose between 50.000 and 60.000 civilian jobs.
Bonus video:
