Elon Musk clashed with another member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, Axios reported on Wednesday. In this case it was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with the incident unfolding in the White House and near Trump.
The outlet quoted different people who witnessed the clash, one saying “it was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing.” “They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that’s when they did it again,” the witness added. Another one described it as “quite a scene” and emphasized how loud things got.
The incident marks yet another clash between Musk and top Trump officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trade Adviser Dave Navarro are others who have been involved in such episodes, some behind closed doors and others out in the open.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the episode, saying that “it’s no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country.” “Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” she added in a statement to the New York Times, which last Friday reported a fight between the two figures over who would lead the IRS.
Trump replaced Gary Shapley, the fourth IRS head this year last Friday after Bessent complained that he was not consulted on the appointment, Politico reported last Friday. He also fired a member of Musk’s DOGE team assigned to the office. Bessent reportedly told Trump he wanted someone he could trust to head the IRS.
Musk’s ways have irked several officials, to the point of leaving rooms in exasperation. Such scenes are described in a Rolling Stone feature, which did a deep dive in Musk’s behavior and his “staggering trail of destruction as Trump’s DOGE chief.”
The piece also delves into concerns from government officials about the possibility that Musk was on drugs during public appearances. It highlights his speech at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, in which he waved around a chainsaw to show he would slash bureaucratic spending.
“I’m living the meme. You know, it’s like, there’s living the dream, and there’s living the meme, and that’s pretty much what’s happening,” he said at the event.
Some officials have been unable to hide their disdain from Musk, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio being mentioned as one of them. The two reportedly clashed during a cabinet meeting in early March after the billionaire accused him of not making enough cuts at the State Department.
Musk also clashed publicly with Peter Navarro, calling him “truly a moron” after the trade aviser accused him of protecting his interests when discussing tariffs.
Musk made the comment responding to a publication on his social media platform, X, that showed an interview Navarro gave to CNBC. In it, the adviser said “we all understand in the White House, and the American people understand, that Elon is a car manufacturer. But he’s not a car manufacturer, he’s a car assembler.
Musk said on Tuesday he will “significantly” reduce his role in the Trump administration after Tesla reported a large drop in profits and sales at the beginning of the year. He clarified that he will not leave the government completely, pledging to stay “as long as the president would like me to do so and as long as it’s useful”.
Originally published on Latin Times
