Grok reportedly advised Trump before the operation to capture Maduro

President Donald Trump reportedly asked Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot how Venezuelans would respond if the United States captured Nicolás Maduro, roughly a month before US forces carried out the operation that removed the Venezuelan president.

The conversation took place during a private December 2025 meeting between Trump and Musk in the Oval Office, according to a Time Magazine report citing an official who was present. Trump spent hours asking Grok questions about his presidency, legacy and other issues.

At the time, Trump was already ordering strikes against Venezuelan boats that his administration alleged were involved in drug trafficking.

Trump asked Grok specifically how Venezuelans might react if the US captured Maduro. According to Time’s source, the chatbot characterized Maduro as repressive and deeply unpopular and said many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his removal.

The report does not establish that Grok recommended the operation or that its response determined Trump’s decision. It shows that the president consulted the chatbot about the potential public reaction before ordering the January raid.

US forces captured Maduro during an operation in Caracas the following month. Time reported that celebrations afterward reinforced Trump’s favorable impression of Grok, with officials saying he came away viewing the chatbot as highly capable.

The episode offers another example of AI systems taking a growing role in national security discussions under the Trump administration.

Grok has since been integrated into Pentagon systems. A June court filing from the Defense Department’s chief AI officer said a government version of Grok was used within Maven Smart Systems during US operations against Iran. 

The system supported workflows that helped US forces deploy more than 2,000 munitions against 2,000 targets within 96 hours, according to the filing.

The disclosure did not say Grok autonomously selected or attacked those targets. Rather, the model operated as part of a broader military intelligence and targeting system.

Musk is also taking a new role advising the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this week that Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will help lead Project Meridian, a 120-day effort examining technologies and capabilities that could shape future warfare.

The Pentagon said the initiative will study future operating environments and identify technologies the military may need to develop, test and deploy.

The developments come as the Trump administration increasingly turns to commercial AI companies for national security applications while resisting broader restrictions that it argues could slow US development relative to China.