Elon Musk joins Trump administration's Project Meridian military committee

After his resounding departure from the White House, Elon Musk will once again work with the administration of Donald Trump. On Wednesday, American Defense Minister Pete Hegseth announced the participation of the boss of Tesla and SpaceX in “Project Meridian”, a committee responsible for identifying the technologies and military capabilities that the United States will need for its future conflicts.

Presented during a speech in Quantico, Virginia, this program is to operate for 120 days. Its goal is “to achieve technological and military dominance on the battlefield for decades to come,” according to Pete Hegseth. The minister also wants to “approach the future in a creative way by identifying the areas that we must conquer and the capabilities that we must master”.

“Three of the nation’s brightest minds”

Elon Musk will notably work alongside Palmer Luckey, founder of the defense company Anduril, and Newt Gingrich, former Republican President of the House of Representatives. Pete Hegseth introduced the three committee members as “three of the brightest minds in the nation.” This initiative comes as the head of the Pentagon is carrying out a reform of the American army, including reductions in numbers among generals and admirals.

This return once again places Elon Musk in direct contact with the Trump administration after his time at the head of the Doge commission, responsible for reducing public service spending at the start of Donald Trump's second term. Its companies already work with the Pentagon: SpaceX participates in the satellite network of the “Golden Dome” anti-missile project, while Grok artificial intelligence is used by the army for military uses.

A return to favor with Donald Trump

However, relations between Donald Trump and Elon Musk experienced a public breakdown in June 2025. After strongly supporting the Republican during the 2024 campaign, the billionaire notably attacked the president over his new budget bill. The two men have since reconciled, although Elon Musk is now less visible in the Oval Office.

Our file on the United States

On Tuesday, however, Elon Musk was alongside Donald Trump and other tech leaders to sign a code of conduct on the development of artificial intelligence. He also attended the state dinner organized for Xi Jinping the previous week. After spending more than $250 million on the 2024 elections, it has already spent $90 million on the November 2026 midterm elections, according to Federal Election Commission filings.