Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors | Trump administration | The Guardian  (hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce.html)   (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/manifest.json)  (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon.svg) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-512.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-360.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-240.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-120.png) (../../../../../static.guim.co.uk/images/favicon-32x32.ico) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk) (https://hits-secure.theguardian.com) (https://interactive.guim.co.uk) (https://static.theguardian.com) (https://support.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-textegyptian/noalts-not-hinted/GuardianTextEgyptian-Regular.woff2)                                 (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/css/print.css)  (hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce.html#maincontent) Skip to main content (hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce.html#navigation) Skip to navigation (Close [ESC or Q])   Close dialogue  1 / 2   (Next image [→])   Next image  (Previous image [←])   Previous image  (Toggle caption [i])   Toggle caption                         (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions   (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters   (https://profile.theguardian.com/signin?INTCMP=DOTCOM_NEWHEADER_SIGNIN&ABCMP=ab-sign-in&componentEventParams=componentType%3Didentityauthentication%26componentId%3Dguardian_signin_header)   Sign in        US  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/us) US edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/uk) UK edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/au) Australia edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/eur) Europe edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/int) International edition      (https://www.theguardian.com/) The Guardian - Back to home             The Guardian    (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Show more    Hide expanded menu       News (https://www.theguardian.com/) View all News  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World news  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness      Opinion (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) View all Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial) The Guardian view  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/columnists) Columnists  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters) Letters  (https://www.theguardian.com/type/video+tone/comment) Opinion videos  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/cartoons) Cartoons      Sport (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) View all Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nfl) NFL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/tennis) Tennis  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/mlb) MLB  (https://www.theguardian.com/football/mls) MLS  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nba) NBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/wnba) WNBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nhl) NHL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone) F1  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/golf) Golf      Culture (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) View all Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/film) Film  (https://www.theguardian.com/books) Books  (https://www.theguardian.com/music) Music  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign) Art & design  (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio) TV & radio  (https://www.theguardian.com/stage) Stage  (https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera) Classical  (https://www.theguardian.com/games) Games  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/design-a-better-world) Design a better world      Lifestyle (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) View all Lifestyle  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness  (https://www.theguardian.com/fashion) Fashion  (https://www.theguardian.com/food) Food  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/recipes) Recipes  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/love-and-sex) Love & sex  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/home-and-garden) Home & garden  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/health-and-wellbeing) Health & fitness  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/family) Family  (https://www.theguardian.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.theguardian.com/money) Money    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)      (https://support.theguardian.com?acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22:%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22,%22componentType%22:%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22,%22componentId%22:%22side_menu_support%22%7D&INTCMP=side_menu_support) Support us  (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://app.adjust.com/1hskf6nd?adgroup=USHeader) Download the app   (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us  (https://app.adjust.com/16xt6hai) The Guardian app  (https://www.theguardian.com/video) Video  (https://www.theguardian.com/podcasts) Podcasts  (https://www.theguardian.com/inpictures) Pictures  (https://www.theguardian.com/insidetheguardian) Inside the Guardian  (https://www.theguardian.com/weekly?INTCMP=gdnwb_mawns_editorial_gweekly_GW_TopNav_US) Guardian Weekly  (https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords) Crosswords  (https://www.wordiply.com) Wordiply  (https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/series/corrections-and-clarifications) Corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tips    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)   (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us         (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness                      (Military service members march in formation carrying rifles during a Pentagon POW/MIA ceremony)          The National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington DC on 18 September. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images     (hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       The National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington DC on 18 September. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images       (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration) Trump administration     Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors   Installing tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to Pentagon defense board raises conflict-of-interest concerns (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/30/send-us-your-questions-us-iran-war-midterms) Send us your questions about how the Iran war will affect US voters in the midterms            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/aram-roston) Aram Roston in Washington   Thu 1 Oct 2026 13.27 EDT  Last modified on Thu 1 Oct 2026 17.15 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/01/hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          By (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/30/pete-hegseth-elon-musk-taskforce-warfare) installing the tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles in a Pentagon project about the future of warfare, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, bestowed extraordinary influence on two of Maga’s most significant campaign donors – and both men own companies that benefit from federal defense contracting. (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/30/pete-hegseth-elon-musk-taskforce-warfare)  Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare      Read more         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 (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/09/pentagon-ai-xai-emil-michael) reported, Michael made millions in profits off non-public Musk company AI stock while in federal office – and while guiding the Department of Defense’s artificial intelligence efforts. Along with Luckey and Musk, Project Meridian will also include the Trump loyalist and former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Musk was one of the chief financiers of Trump’s 2024 victory, (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-spent-over-quarter-billion-dollars-help-elect-trump-2024-12-06/) spending over a quarter of a billion dollars in the run-up to the election. Recent campaign records show he is still a major force in the coming midterms. His America Pac spent $3.4m attacking the Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s Senate race, for example. In the hotly contested Texas Senate race, America Pac spent $6.4m to oppose Democrat James Talarico and $1m to support the Trump-endorsed Ken Paxton.       (a man with his arms crossed)   (hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       Elon Musk at the White House in Washington DC on 29 September. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA  Musk’s SpaceX has been a crucial contractor for US space programs since 2018, and in the second (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration) Trump administration his company has emerged as key player in Trump’s pet Golden Dome ballistic missile defense project, a phenomenally expensive effort that could cost as much as $1.2tn. Musk dwarfs Luckey in resources and fame, but Luckey has achieved immense celebrity in the defense contracting and world. Initially a young celebrity in the tech world for inventing a virtual reality headset, Luckey later founded Anduril, a defense contracting company that has already won significant federal contracts. Luckey has also become of the most important “bundlers” for Republican candidates on the west coast, as the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/06/exclusive-palmer-luckey-political-fundraising) reported in August. One of the sources called him the “godfather of Republican fundraising on the west coast”. Invitations to political fundraisers obtained by the Guardian show Luckey hosted and co-hosted events for candidates from Trump himself to Ken Calvert, Rick Scott, Mehmet Oz, Ted Cruz and others. The most recent event was on 22 August, where he and his wife co-hosted a $50,000-a-head effort to “Keep the Senate”, and listing guests John Thune of South Dakota, Mike Rogers of Michigan, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Jon Husted of Ohio. It is not necessarily a mystery what Musk and Luckey think about warfare’s future. The 34-year-old Palmer, whose company is backed by Joshua Kushner’s equity fund, has acquired manufacturers (https://www.anduril.com/news/anduril-industries-acquires-dive-technologies) of underwater drones , (https://www.anduril.com/news/anduril-acquires-blue-force-technologies) UAV s, and (https://www.anduril.com/news/anduril-reaches-agreement-to-acquire-exoanalytic-solutions-to-accelerate-space-domain-awareness-and-missile-defense-capabilities) space technology , has been already been voluble about his philosophy on warfare. Earlier this year, for example, he said he thought warfare in the second half of this century would involve (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5AHRUv6j8k) “subterranean” conflict , with vehicles that can “move through he crust of the earth the same way that submarines move through the water”. He has claimed that his company has “working prototypes of subterranean systems”. “Bringing major industry players into these types of positions at the Pentagon is not something new, but what feels different now is the substantial financial support these two have, and continue to, deliver for the Republican party,” said Brendan Glavin of Open Secrets, a non-partisan group that tracks campaign spending. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration) Trump administration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/pete-hegseth) Pete Hegseth  (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk) Elon Musk  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump) Donald Trump  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors&body=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/01/hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Foct%2F01%2Fhegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce&type=article&internalpagecode=us-news/2026/oct/01/hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                            Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://jobs.theguardian.com) Search jobs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (hegseth-musk-warfare-taskforce.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.(dcr)