Elon Musk reportedly had a heated and even physical confrontation with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent inside the White House. This clash happened in April during a meeting in the Oval Office, according to former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.
He said things escalated after Bessent criticized Musk for not delivering on a promise to cut government spending by a trillion dollars. Instead, the savings were much lower—around \$100 billion—and no one could figure out where the cuts were coming from. That’s when, according to Bannon, Musk lost his temper and shoved Bessent.
The fight quickly got loud and aggressive. Bessent allegedly yelled “F— you!” repeatedly at Musk, who taunted him by saying he couldn’t hear him and to “say it louder.” The confrontation reportedly started in the Oval Office and spilled into other parts of the West Wing, including near the offices of the Chief of Staff and the National Security Adviser.
The White House Press Secretary confirmed that the altercation happened and described it as part of the “passionate” atmosphere among Trump’s team. She downplayed the fight, saying disagreements like that are a normal part of working through policy differences.
There’s also more drama surrounding Musk. A recent New York Times report claimed he used drugs like ketamine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms while traveling with Trump on the campaign trail. This comes at a time when Musk is stepping away from his role as a special advisor to Trump.
People close to Bessent say he normally has a calm personality but has strong feelings about Musk and finally snapped. A witness compared the scene to two rich, middle-aged men acting like it was a wrestling match inside the White House.
Trump reportedly supported Bessent in the aftermath of the fight and had already started to distance himself from Musk. Back in March, there was another intense argument between Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over major job cuts at the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk was overseeing. Not long after that, Trump said publicly he wanted to scale back Musk’s influence and cost-cutting plans.
Now that Musk’s time in the White House is ending, he’s begun to express doubts about his involvement. In an interview, he said he supports much of what the Trump administration is doing but doesn’t agree with everything. He admitted feeling stuck—unwilling to criticize the administration but also uncomfortable being seen as responsible for its actions.
