Former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly stepped in to stop billionaire Elon Musk from participating in a highly classified government meeting related to China, according to a report from Axios.
Trump was said to be furious upon learning about Musk’s plans to attend the sensitive briefing and ordered his staff to prevent it from happening. “What the f**k is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go,” Trump allegedly told a staffer.
The details of the classified meeting remain unclear, but the timing aligns with the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China. Despite previously supporting Musk’s involvement in certain government matters, including a special advisory role, Trump drew the line regarding this particular briefing.
A government official familiar with the situation said Trump still holds Musk in high regard but believed the meeting was not an appropriate setting for him.
“POTUS still very much loves Elon, but there are some red lines,” the official said. “Elon has a lot of business ties in China and good relations there, and this briefing just wasn’t the right thing.”
The incident follows recent efforts by Trump to limit Musk’s influence within the administration.
Cabinet members had grown increasingly frustrated with Musk’s actions as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), particularly regarding staffing decisions.
Meanwhile, the trade war with China has escalated. In response to Trump’s decision to impose a 125% tariff on Chinese imports, Beijing retaliated by raising tariffs on American goods from 84% to 125%. When combined with a 20% fentanyl-related tariff introduced earlier this year, the effective U.S. tariff rate on Chinese products now stands at 145%.
In a sharp response, China’s Ministry of Finance dismissed the latest U.S. tariffs, calling them economically irrational. “Even if the U.S. continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense and will become a joke in the history of the world economy,” the ministry said.
The statement continued with a warning: “At the current tariff level, there is no market acceptance for U.S. goods exported to China.
If the U.S. continues to play the tariff numbers game, China will ignore it. However, if the U.S. insists on substantially infringing on China’s interests, China will resolutely counterattack and fight to the end.”
Global stock markets were initially shaken by the tariff increases, with major indexes dropping to near record lows. However, a temporary 90-day pause in tariff enforcement brought some stability to global financial markets.
In response to Trump’s latest announcement, the European Union also postponed its own planned tariffs on U.S. goods but cautioned that “all options remain on the table” if trade tensions continue.
