REPORT: Musk clashes with another Trump official

Since Musk was appointed head of DOGE, there have been reports that he has clashed with Trump officials.

Musk just added a third top official to his list, reportedly now feuding with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Marco Rubio

Very early on in the administration, rumors surfaced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk were battling over Rubio not terminating enough employees.

Rubio reportedly pushed back, saying that his department had been gutted by early retirements, losing roughly 1,500 people.

Musk reportedly then told Rubio that he was only “good on TV,” meaning that he was useless other than as a spokesperson.

Trump reportedly watched all this unfold without stepping in, and the media exploded with rumors that a major rift was developing in the administration between Musk and everyone else.

Peter Navarro

Musk has been against Trump’s tariffs from the outset, resulting in a public spat between financial adviser Peter Navarro and Elon Musk.

Navarro fired a shot at Musk, calling him a “car assembler” instead of a “car manufacturer,” which led to Musk calling him a “moron.” Adding that Navarro was “dumber than a sack of bricks.”

Instead of telling the two to knock it off, the White House encouraged it.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue.”

Scott Bessent

The new player in the anti-Musk crowd is Secretary Scott Bessent, with a story breaking this week that Bessent and Musk got into a shouting match in the halls of the White House.

One source stated, “Elon was shouting and rambling and Scott just wasn’t putting up with it.” Another stated, “Bessent has two mandates: reform and stabilize. Elon has one mandate: break things in the process of reform.”

Once again, Leavitt downplayed the exchange, stating, “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. And ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”

Before Musk was declared a special employee and limited to only 130 days, I never gave him very long to last in this environment. He is not used to reporting to anyone, let alone having to share the spotlight, so this was doomed from the start. Musk is also learning that most of the cuts he wants to make are protected by Congress, so he is truly fighting an unwinnable battle here. For Musk, I am sure May 30 cannot come soon enough.