Retired Army general declares Musk a ‘national security risk’ in brutal NYT op-ed

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Elon Musk has been branded a “national security risk” by a former U.S. army general, who cited his concerns over the tech billionaire’s close ties with the Chinese government. In a scathing op-ed, published in The New York Times, Honoré noted that Musk and his company SpaceX already face federal reviews for failing to provide details of meetings with foreign leaders, but said that such infractions were “just the beginning of my worries.” Musk has previously borrowed at least $1.4 billion from banks controlled by the Chinese government to help build a “gigafactory” in Shanghai for Tesla. “This means Mr. Musk’s business dealings in China could require him to hand over sensitive classified information, learned either through his business interests or his proximity to President-elect Donald Trump.” The close relationship between Musk and Trump has already raised eyebrows in Washington, with many on both sides of the aisle questioning the amount of influence the tech boss has been allowed. open image in gallery Vivek Ramaswamy, with whom Musk is set to head up the Department of Government Efficiency has also previously raised concerns about the billionaire’s close ties with China The former general also highlighted the federal reviews faced by Musk and SpaceX over his meetings with foreign leaders – the details of many have not been disclosed – and other “potential violations of national-security rules.” His concern, he wrote, was whether the Trump administration would take such potential threats seriously.