Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appointed major MAGA donors Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, both owners of defense contracting companies, to advisory roles in 'Project Meridian,' a Pentagon initiative on future warfare, sparking concerns over influence and conflicts of interest.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has granted significant influence to tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey by appointing them to advisory roles in 'Project Meridian,' a new Pentagon project focused on the future of warfare. Both men are prominent MAGA campaign donors, and their companies, SpaceX and Anduril, respectively, benefit from federal defense contracts. The project will be led by Pentagon official Emil Michael, who previously profited from non-public Musk company AI stock while guiding Department of Defense artificial intelligence efforts. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, a Trump loyalist, is also part of Project Meridian. Musk has been a major financier for Trump's 2024 victory and continues to contribute substantially to Republican campaigns, with SpaceX being a crucial US space contractor involved in Trump’s 'Golden Dome' ballistic missile defense project. Luckey, known for inventing a virtual reality headset and founding defense contractor Anduril, is a significant Republican fundraiser on the west coast. Critics, including Brendan Glavin of Open Secrets, highlight the unprecedented 'substantial financial support' these individuals provide to the Republican party, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest given their advisory roles and business interests in defense. Luckey has also publicly shared his vision for future warfare, including 'subterranean' conflict.
