18 April 2025 , 08:13
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President Donald Trump put a personal stop to Elon Musk’s attendance in a highly classified China meeting, it’s been reported.
Furious, he ordered his staff to ensure Musk ‘doesn’t go’ after finding out Musk had been planning to attend the meeting.
It’s unclear what the ‘highly classified’ China meeting entailed, but it comes as the US is embroiled in a tariff war with the global superpower.
‘What the f**k is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go,’ Trump reportedly told a staff member, according to Axios.
The remarks are a sharp turn from Trump’s support for Musk’s involvement in other government matters as a special employee.
But a government official told Axios: ‘POTUS 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.’
Trump’s remarks came after he put limits on Musk’s power early last month for the first time.
Cabinet members were reportedly frustrated with staff firing mandates that Musk issued as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
China has increased its tariffs on US imports from 84% to 125% after Donald Trump hit Beijing with a 125% rate, despite pausing tariffs for other countries.
The US tariff rate on Chinese imports now effectively totals 145%, after Trump’s latest executive order boosted reciprocal tariffs on Beijing to 125%, combined with a 20% fentanyl-related tariff imposed in February and March.
In a statement, China’s finance ministry said: ‘Even if the US continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense and will become a joke in the history of the world economy.’
It continued: ‘At the current tariff level, there is no market acceptance for US goods exported to China. If the US continues to play the tariff numbers game, China will ignore it.
‘However, if the US insists on continuing to substantially infringe on China’s interests, China will resolutely counterattack and fight to the end’.
Earlier this month, stock markets around the world had plunged to almost record-low levels after tariffs went into effect, but the 90-day pause prompted a recovery in market prices.
The European Union said they would also pause their planned tariffs on US goods after Trump’s announcement, but said ‘all options remain on the table’.
Politics Editor