Elon Musk Returns to Trump Administration, Co-Leads Pentagon War Study

Elon Musk will return to officially advising US President Donald Trump's government by co-leading a Pentagon study on the future of war, named "Project Meridian."

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced the initiative in a speech at the Quantico military base, describing it as an effort led by "America's best minds" to study future warfare. Musk will co-lead Project Meridian alongside Palmer Luckey, the 34-year-old co-founder of defense technology company Anduril Industries, and Newt Gingrich, the 83-year-old Republican former House speaker.

The project's purpose is to creatively look to the future and identify the domains that they must conquer and capabilities they must master. Project Meridian's findings are directed to be completed and submitted within 120 days. Musk previously served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseeing job cuts across the US federal government, before departing in May 2025.

His departure followed a public dispute with President Trump over spending legislation. The two have since reconciled, and Musk has become a frequent presence at the White House. Last week, Musk attended a state dinner Trump hosted for Chinese President Xi Jinping, and in May, he flew to Beijing on Air Force One as part of the business delegation accompanying Trump.

Musk has also resumed giving to Republican causes, including multimillion-dollar donations to individual candidates. His companies are already major Pentagon contractors; SpaceX builds satellite networks for Trump's planned "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, and his artificial intelligence firm xAI signed a deal this year allowing the military to use its Grok chatbot on classified systems. Project members will include hand-picked private sector leaders and subject matter experts from innovation, academic, and policy ecosystems.