President Donald Trump reportedly turned to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot for insight into how Venezuelans might react if Nicolas Maduro got captured, weeks before the U.S. launched an operation that removed the Venezuelan leader.

Trump Asked Grok About Maduro

Musk privately met with Trump at the White House in December 2025, months after leaving his role in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, Time Magazine reported on Thursday.

During the meeting, Trump reportedly spent hours questioning Grok about his presidency and the potential consequences of military action in Venezuela.

At the time, Trump had already ordered strikes against Venezuelan boats that he alleged were involved in drug trafficking.

Trump specifically asked how Venezuelans would respond if Maduro were captured, according to an official cited by the publication. Grok reportedly described Maduro as a "deeply unpopular dictator" and said many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his downfall.

The U.S. subsequently launched an operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3 and captured Maduro. As per the report citing officials, Trump later "came away thinking Grok was ingenious" after celebrations followed the operation.

The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

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Grok’s Growing Role In US Military

The episode comes as Grok’s role in U.S. national security expands. In June, the Pentagon’s AI chief said the military had used Gov Grok to help deploy and strike targets during the Iran War.

Grok is not the only AI system being used by the Defense Department. OpenAI has an agreement with the Pentagon, while Anthropic has faced a dispute over restrictions on military uses of its technology.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has tapped Musk and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey to co-lead Project Meridian, a study examining future battlefields and technologies that could be deployed there.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has tapped Musk, Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to co-lead Project Meridian, a 120-day study examining the future of warfare and the technologies the military may need.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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