Trump Admits He Doesn’t Know Why Elon Met Modi

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC. – President Donald Trump told the White House press corp that he is personally monitoring Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest while the billionaire serves in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, Trump admitted he was unsure whether Musk met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a private citizen or in an official capacity.

“I don’t know,” Trump told reporters. “They met, and I assume he wants to do business in India.”

Musk’s February 13 meeting with Modi, took place even before Modi met with President Trump. Interestingly, Modi was accompanied by top Indian officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, underscoring the high stakes of the conversation while Musk was joined by three of his ten children and his current girlfriend.

The two reportedly discussed technology, space, and investment opportunities—key areas for both Tesla and SpaceX, two of Musk’s most influential companies. While such a discussion would ordinarily raise no eyebrows, Musk’s role as a special government employee has fueled concerns over the overlap between his business interests and political interest.

Trump insisted that safeguards are in place. “We won’t let [Musk] do anything having to do with a conflict,” he said. “First of all, he wouldn’t do it, and second of all, we’re not going to let him do anything where there’s a conflict of interest.” This, as Fortune pointed out, is different from the previous line the White House has had where they said Musk would police himself and recuse himself as needed.

Musk’s satellite company, Starlink, is still awaiting regulatory approval in India. In December, Musk denied claims that Starlink was being used for terrorism in India after a Starlink-branded box appeared in a weapons cache seized by Indian authorities in Manipur.