Elon Musk and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant had a fight at the White House

Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant got into a heated argument in the Oval Office last week in front of President Donald Trump and other officials, Axios reported, citing two witnesses and three sources.

One witness described the incident as “the two middle-aged billionaires turning the West Wing of the White House into a wrestling ring.” The witness also said they exchanged insults.

The argument escalated to the point that an aide had to intervene between Musk and Bessant to calm them down. Axios reported that the argument reached Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni, who was meeting with Donald Trump that day. “It was a real spectacle. They were arguing very loudly,” another source said.

The dispute was sparked by a disagreement over who would be the next head of the Internal Revenue Service. President Trump had nominated Gary Shepley as acting head of the Internal Revenue Service, on the recommendation of Elon Musk. But Scott Bessant nominated Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender for the position, and Musk was furious that he followed suit.

Axios reported that the argument showed how senior Trump administration officials are frustrated with Musk’s approach. “This is not just about who is right or wrong. It’s about control and power,” the source said.

Recall that in early March of this year, a similar conflict occurred between Elon Musk and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a Cabinet meeting. During that discussion, Donald Trump did not respond at all, just a spectator, and only after the discussion had become very long did he briefly respond, saying, "Rubio is doing a great job." Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!