Elon Musk called for criminal prosecution of Pentagon officials who provided information to The New York Times after the newspaper reported that the billionaire would participate in a Pentagon briefing where he would be briefed on US military plans, including potential conflicts with China, Reuters reports.
The Times report alleged that Musk would be included in strategic military briefings, which raised questions about a possible conflict of interest. As the head of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has business interests in both China and the US government, including multibillion-dollar contracts with the Pentagon. The White House said Musk would step down from his engagement if conflicts of interest arose.
"The New York Times is pure propaganda", Musk wrote on the social network X on Friday. "I look forward to the prosecution of those in the Pentagon who knowingly spread false information."
Musk made his comments after President Donald Trump also denied the story.
"China will not even be mentioned or discussed," Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told "Politico" that the Pentagon meeting would not include classified information and would focus on China as a major military challenge for the United States. He said the meeting would be attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Admiral Sam Paparo, commander of the Indo-Pacific Command.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Friday called on The New York Times to retract its story, but did not provide details about possible inaccuracies.
"Elon Musk is just coming to visit," Parnell told Fox & Friends, calling the report "inaccurate".
Musk's visit coincides with Trump and Hegseth preparing to announce the winner of the $20 billion Next Generation Air Dominance program.
The program involves replacing the F-22 Raptor with a new fighter jet and drones. Musk, who has repeatedly questioned the need for manned fighter jets, is likely to discuss the topic with Pentagon officials.
Former defense officials have expressed concern that giving an unelected businessman like Musk access to strategic briefings could lead to distorted perceptions of the likelihood of conflict. They say the administration has not articulated a clear strategy toward China, leading to interpretations based on external factors such as trade tariffs and the TikTok ban.