CNN
–
Elon Musk will visit the Pentagon on Friday after the tech billionaire was invited by Secretary Pete Hegses, the Department of Defense said Thursday evening.
“The Department of Defense is excited to welcome Elon Musk to the Pentagon on Friday. He has been invited to Chief Hegses and is only visiting,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to CNN.
The New York Times reported earlier Thursday that Musk would be explained about the US military’s highest-ranking plan for a war with China.
In a late-night truth social post, President Donald Trump rejected the New York Times report, saying “China will not even be mentioned or discussed.”
The visit believes that the Pentagon, which is encouraged for Musk’s government efficiency, is taking into account major cuts to the top of the military to embrace the Trump administration’s push to reduce the federal government. Hegseth said last month that DOD would lean on Doge to help the department “find fraud, waste and abuse on the federal government’s biggest discretionary budget.”
CNN reached out to the White House and government efficiency for comment.
Hegseth’s recent strategic guidance memo, sent to Pentagon leaders earlier this month and reviewed by CNN, directed a shift in focus and resources on the potential conflict with China, but provided most details on what it would look like.
According to well-known people, multiple versions of the US military war plans are often created at different levels of classification.
At the highest level, military operational plans include so-called “codewords” clearance information, including sensitive sources and methods, such as the use of human and technical assets. Sensitive versions of briefings that do not contain highly classified information are also frequently prepared. It is unclear which version will be presented in the mask.
CNN reports that masks have the finest security clearance and serve as special government officials to the Trump administration. However, even individuals with appropriate security clearance must “have to know” before accessing certain information, according to US government classification procedures.
According to a summary of the Department of Justice, special government officials are “people who are expected to work or be expected to work for the government within 130 days in 365 days.”
Musk maintains a lucrative contract with the Department of Defense. In October 2024, the US Space Force awarded a $733 million launch agreement to SpaceX, Musk.
This story has been updated with additional reports.
Zachary Cohen and Kit Maher from CNN contributed to this report.
