Former US lieutenant general warns Musk poses national security risks

A former U.S. lieutenant general warned Sunday that Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who has become intricately involved in President-elect Trump’s transition, may pose national security risks due to his ties to China and Russia. 

Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré pointed to the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s business interests in China, as well as his reported conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

“The fact that Mr. Musk spent a quarter of a billion dollars to help re-elect Mr. Trump does not give the incoming White House the license to look the other way at the national security risks he may pose,” Honoré wrote in a New York Times op-ed. 

“If Mr. Trump and his appointees mean what they say about getting tough on America’s adversaries, then they will act on this matter without delay,” he continued. “There is too much at stake to ignore what’s right in front of them.” 

China is a major market for Musk’s Tesla, which owns a factory in Shanghai. Honoré noted that Chinese law requires companies doing business in the country to turn over information if requested. 

“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 retired general wrote. 

Honoré also voiced concerns about the tech mogul’s comments about China and related political issues. Musk previously praised China's “economic prosperity” and suggested Taiwan become a “special administrative zone” of China — a comment that was received well by leaders in Beijing. 

Musk’s companies hold extensive contracts with the U.S. government — Tesla and SpaceX have secured at least $15.4 billion in federal contracts over the past decade, according to a New York Times analysis. 

These contracts have come under scrutiny since The Wall Street Journal reported in October that Musk had been in regular contact with Putin since late 2022. The report prompted two Democratic senators to ask for a federal investigation into Musk’s involvement in SpaceX’s contracts.  

“If the federal investigations demonstrate deep connections to China and Russia, the federal government should consider revoking Mr. Musk’s security clearance,” Honoré added. “It should already be thinking about using alternatives to SpaceX’s launch services.”