US President Donald Trump acknowledged his ally Elon Musk's potential conflicts of interest for the first time on Friday (Mar 21) and said that the DOGE chief should not be allowed to see top-secret plans for any war with China.

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The rare admission comes after weeks of Trump dismissing the wealthy businessman's conflict of interests in leading the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Also read | 'These are terrorists': Trump defends Musk, says Tesla attacks worse than Jan. 6 Capitol riot

What did Trump say about Musk?

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When asked to comment on media reports that Musk, the world's richest man, would receive a classified Pentagon briefing on US war strategy, Trump said, "I don't want to show it to anybody."

"You're talking about a potential war with China," he noted, adding, "Certainly you wouldn’t show it to a businessman who is helping us so much".

"Elon has businesses in China and he would be susceptible perhaps to that," admitted Trump.

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Also read | China war or DOGE cuts? Inside Musk’s controversial Pentagon visit that Trump, Hegseth rushed to defend

Tesla, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has major business interests in China. However, he also has huge defence contracts in the US. This has raised concerns about his influence and the potential conflict of interest.

Also read | ‘Could get jailed in El Salvador prisons’: Trump threatens ‘terrorists’ harming Musk, Tesla with 20-year jail

However, the US President then jumped to Musk's defence. Describing Musk as a "patriot" Trump then hailed the DOGE chief's efforts to slash back the US federal government, including the US Defense Department. Trump made this statement while unveiling a contract for Boeing to build the next-generation F-47 fighter jet.

This comes after Musk, on Friday visited the Pentagon, and reports, first published in the New York Times, speculated about the visit. Reports suggested that Musk was to receive a briefing in a secure room dubbed "The Tank" on maritime tactics and targeting plans.

(With inputs from agencies)