WASHINGTON — Elon Musk, the SpaceX founder and President Trump’s lead person on government efficiency, met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Friday. Musk stated he was willing to offer assistance in any way possible.
A CNN video showed the two leaving the meeting, during which Musk declined to answer questions about whether he received a classified briefing on China during the visit. Hegseth had previously stated on Thursday that the meeting with Musk would focus on “innovation, efficiencies & smarter production.”
The Defense Department is currently working to identify areas for budget cuts, aiming for savings of 5% to 8%. However, some lawmakers and government watchdogs have raised concerns about Musk’s involvement, given that his company, SpaceX, receives billions in federal contracts.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been central to the Trump administration’s efforts to significantly reduce the size of the government. Musk’s methods of laying off employees and cutting programs have been met with criticism from some lawmakers and voters, while supporters of the Republican president have praised them.
A senior defense official announced on Tuesday that the Defense Department would be cutting approximately 50,000 to 60,000 civilian positions.
In a post on X, Musk’s social media platform, Hegseth clarified that the meeting was “NOT a meeting about ‘top secret China war plans,'” refuting a prior newspaper report.
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