Fear, mockery and confusion were among the reactions to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to install Elon Musk as the co-leader of a project to study the future of warfare.

“Project Meridian” will be led by the owner of X as well as Anduril Industries co-founder Palmer Luckey and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael will oversee them.

According to Hegseth, the project will focus on “discovering, developing and fielding” the weapons systems of the future that U.S. troops may need on battlefields ranging “from under the Earth to beyond the moon.” These men will spend the next 120 days looking at ways the U.S. military can maintain a technological edge decades into the future.

While the purported project drew little online criticism, Musk’s inclusion in another unofficial Trump administration role did. Musk infamously oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which conducted the largest peacetime reduction of the federal workforce on record, even as government spending continued to rise.

Musk left the administration after he and President Donald Trump had a public falling out. They later reconciled.

Many critics pointed out that Musk, Luckey and Gingrich have never served in the military in any capacity and questioned what expertise they could provide. Others took issue with Musk’s renewed involvement with the Trump administration in general.

Read reactions to Hegseth’s announcement here:

Elon Musk is now in charge of the future of warfare.That's a massive, massive, massive concern.Wow. https://t.co/g9mdIGaAYv

Two billionaire businessmen and a former Republican House Speaker. Where exactly is the Military expertise? https://t.co/TEf8RXPfPU

Hegseth has fired all the real experts that would tell the American public, this is a very stupid idea. https://t.co/GUi0AbPBhK

Three of the biggest ass clowns this country has to offer https://t.co/NI3pjHK2he

Could've gone with Scrooge McDuck, Beavis, and the ghost of Rush Limbaugh. Same results.

What do Musk, Luckey and Gingrich know about the defense industry?

These guys… https://t.co/mRuy9K1zF9 pic.twitter.com/XQZWGVxjRm

This should terrify us all. https://t.co/xWhyA74VjF

Someone should ask Trump to identify America’s adversaries. https://t.co/YfcnOXygH4

These are not even close to being our nations best minds - bunch of low IQ idiots! https://t.co/zSQZ89qdZD

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