A former campaign adviser for Donald Trump melted down on CNN over an explosive report from The New York Times that tech billionaire Elon Musk was to get briefed on possible military plans in the event of a war with China.
The Times lit up social media when it reported Thursday night that Musk, the head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, was scheduled to receive the classified briefing on Friday. However, Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Pentagon officials strongly refuted the claims.
"China will not even be mentioned or discussed," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
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Meanwhile, Hegseth posed on X that the meeting would be "about innovation, efficiencies & smarter production."
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he doesn't want anyone seeing "potential war with China."
"Certainly you wouldn't want to show it to a businessman," he said. "Elon has businesses in China. And he would be susceptible perhaps to that."
CNN anchor Kasie Hunt told viewers on her show "The Arena" on Friday that Trump's response was "really striking."
"He seems to understand just how problematic doing this would be," she said, noting Musk's DOGE is making cuts to the Pentagon as well.
Trump and Hegseth said the Pentagon welcomed Musk to talk about his DOGE cuts and efficiencies.
Hunt noted the Times report specified Musk would be in a section known as the "tank" where sensitive discussions about potential war plans could be discussed.
"That ultimately did not happen," she added, pointing to a picture of Hegseth and Musk with sunlight coming through the windows.
Trump himself attacked the Times over the article, telling reporters: "If you read what's out of the New York Times, it's such a dishonest newspaper. It's such garbage."
CNN's Jamie Gangel told the panel it was an "impressive rapid response" at the hands of Trump.
"Donald Trump gets it," she emphasized, adding he "understands that with Elon Musk and such sensitive information, this is the third rail."
But former Trump campaign adviser David Urban slammed the report.
"I'll say this. The reporting — I know some of the reporters on those bylines — I think it's ridiculous. I literally think it's ridiculous reporting. It doesn't even pass the straight face test for a variety of reasons, right?" he railed.
Urban said he's been to the "tank' and the Defense Secretary's office, as well as the chairman's office.
"Just because the picture with Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk was standing in Pete's office doesn't mean they didn't go to the tank," he noted. "It's just down the hall from where they operate. But the notion — there's a notion of need to know, right? So, why would they show Elon Musk? It's not like he's on some tourist. Why would they bring on Elon Musk and show him the most sensitive war plans? It's strange credibility. There's absolutely zero reason."
"It is laughable that that would even be talked about," Urban later said.
