Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors

Published October 1, 2026 · Category: News

Overview

Installing tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to Pentagon defense board raises conflict of interest concerns

By installing tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles in a Pentagon project about the future of warfare, defense secretary Pete Hegseth bestowed extraordinary influence on two of Magas most significant campaign donors – and both men own companies that benefit from federal defense contracting.

Details

The new project, which Hegseth dubbed “Project Meridian” in an event in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, will be led by Pentagon official Emil Michael, a former Uber executive. As the Guardian has reported, Michael made millions in profits off non-public Musk company AI stock while in federal office – and while guiding the department of defenses’s artificial intelligence efforts.

Source

Originally published at www.theguardian.com.

Related Articles

• UK-Iranian dual national arrested over RAF Fairford incident, police say
• UK-Iran national arrested under Terrorism Act over RAF Fairford incident
• How the the failed execution of Christa Pike unfolded