[Source/Observer Network, Qi Qian] Last month, a report that "Musk would receive a China-related combat briefing at the Pentagon" caused a huge stir in the United States. Shortly afterwards, U.S. President Trump personally refuted it as "fake news." The subsequent briefing also did not discuss China-related issues.

On April 16, American media Axios disclosed more details about this incident. According to sources familiar with the matter, Musk did not decide to cancel the "China-related combat briefing" on his own; instead, Trump personally ordered the staff to cancel it.

A senior U.S. official told Axios that Trump then said, "What the f**k is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn't go."

This senior official revealed, "The president still loves Musk very much, but there are certain bottom lines. After all, Musk has many businesses in China and maintains good relations with China, which is clearly inappropriate for him to attend such briefings." The official stated that Trump had previously mentioned that he would not allow Musk to have conflicts of interest with the government during his term.

Axios also reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Higgenbotham has suspended the positions of two senior Pentagon officials to investigate who leaked the information about "Musk's planned China-related briefing" to the media. They are Dan Caldwell, Higgenbotham's senior advisor, and Darin Selnick, the Pentagon's deputy chief of staff.

Earlier, Reuters and American political news website Politico also reported the suspension of their positions.

According to Politico's report on the evening of the 15th, after being suspended, Caldwell and Selnick were escorted out of the Pentagon and prohibited from entering the building while further investigations were ongoing. Sources cited by the report indicated that the leaks under investigation also include military action plans for the Panama Canal, the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Red Sea, and the suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Screenshot of Musk appearing in the White House Oval Office

On March 20, The New York Times dropped a major story. At that time, citing multiple U.S. officials, the newspaper reported that Musk would receive a top-secret briefing on potential China war plans at the Pentagon on the 21st local time.

The report at the time said that this move meant Musk would gain access to the highest national military secrets, greatly enhancing his influence in the Trump administration. Critics also pointed out that Musk has extensive commercial interests in China, which conflicts with his access to strategic secrets related to China.

However, on the same night the report was released, Trump hurriedly denied the news on social media, blasting the media as "absurd" and "shameless." Musk responded, "I look forward to the Pentagon suing those who maliciously leaked false information to The New York Times. They will certainly be found."

Subsequently, The New York Times cited an informed source revealing that this China-related briefing was "cancelled" after attracting attention. Musk met with Defense Secretary Higgenbotham, acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Grady, and spent over an hour talking with Higgenbotham. The report noted that for a CEO with contractual ties to the Department of Defense, this was a rare one-on-one meeting.

Trump responded again on March 21, saying, "The U.S. does not want any potential war with China," and claimed that if a war really broke out, the U.S. "would be fully capable of dealing with it."

"They fabricated this story because it's a good story. They are all very dishonest people," Trump expressed surprise at the related reports, "He (Musk) came for government efficiency, not for China."

Trump also unusually admitted to conflicts of interest involving Musk during his tenure as a special government advisor. He said at the time, "If you mention China, I think he would leave the room... You certainly wouldn't let a businessman who has helped us so much know about things related to China. I don't think Elon would do that. He doesn't want to put himself in that situation."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494067703318315554/

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