Scott Bessent, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla, reportedly engaged in a fierce argument in front of President Donald Trump, Axios reported on the 23rd (local time).
Axios, citing multiple sources, reported that Bessent and Musk had a heated argument in the White House on the 17th. The issue arose from the appointment of an acting IRS Commissioner. CEO Musk backed Gary Shapley for the position, which the White House accepted, but Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, was reportedly unaware of this. Bessent, who was preparing to appoint Michael Falkender as Vice Minister of the Treasury, was furious and requested President Trump to reverse the appointment, according to The New York Times (NYT).
Bessent and Musk had a verbal clash during a White House meeting. Bessent criticized Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for making excessive promises regarding budget cuts while delivering poor results. Musk countered by calling Bessent a 'failed hedge fund operator.' During this exchange, President Trump observed the heated exchanges.
Bessent and Musk continued their argument even as they went into the hallway. It was said that bystanders had to separate the two. One witness described, 'The two billionaire middle-aged men fought in the West Wing hallway like they were in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).' It was also reported that Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, who was visiting the White House for a meeting with President Trump, witnessed the scene.
The tense relationship between Bessent and Musk has persisted since shortly after last year's presidential election. This was because Musk publicly supported Howard Lutnick, the current Secretary of Commerce, for the position of Secretary of the Treasury. Reports indicate that Bessent voiced his dissatisfaction to those around him regarding Musk's attempts to bypass him and interfere in various appointments after taking office.
White House Spokesperson Caroline Levitt responded to reports about the dispute between the two, saying, 'There are occasionally disagreements between the president's staff and the cabinet, but we believe that is part of a healthy discussion process,' adding, 'Ultimately, everyone knows that President Trump is the decision-maker.'