Donald Trump reportedly blocked Elon Musk attending a top secret China briefing fuming: “What the f*** is Elon doing there?”
The US President ordered White House staff to “make sure he doesn't go” when he learnt of the billionaire Tesla founder’s attendance.
Trump is said to have been concerned about a potential conflict of interest given Musk’s business interests in China.
An administration official told the Axios news website: “POTUS [President of the United States] still very much loves Elon, but there are some red lines.
“Elon has a lot of business in China and he has good relations there, and this briefing just wasn’t the right thing.”
Musk's planned attendance was first reported on March 20 by the New York Times.
Trump called it “fake news” in a post on social media, adding the report was “ridiculous” and “completely untrue”.
But Musk’s constant presence at the White House, bizarre social media posts and efforts to reduce waste through the Department of Government Efficiency has angered several administration officials.
Though the president has previously praised Musk and welcomed his involvement. officials say the tech mogul’s extensive Chinese business ties crossed a line.
Trump had also pledged that Musk, in his role as head of DOGE, would not be involved in any areas where he could have conflicts of interest.
