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

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appointed tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles in a new Pentagon project called "Project Meridian," focused on the future of warfare. This move has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as both Musk and Luckey are significant campaign donors to the MAGA movement and own companies that benefit from federal defense contracts. Project Meridian will be led by Pentagon official Emil Michael, who has previously profited from non-public Musk company stock while involved in the Department of Defense's AI efforts. The project also includes former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Musk's SpaceX is a key contractor for US space programs, and Luckey founded Anduril, a defense contracting company.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is returning to advise the US government by co-leading a Pentagon study on the future of war. This initiative, named "Project Meridian," was announced by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at the Quantico military base. Musk previously led the Department of Government Efficiency before leaving the administration last May after a public disagreement with President Trump. The study aims to bring together "America's best minds" to examine future warfare.