An explosive confrontation inside the White House is shedding light on the unraveling relationship between Elon Musk and the Trump administration.
According to multiple reports, a bitter argument between Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent escalated into a physical altercation near the Oval Office—marking a turning point in Musk’s exit from federal service and his recent public attacks on the president.
The incident occurred in April as both men reportedly submitted rival IRS reform proposals to the president.
Tensions flared after the meeting, with Bessent accusing Musk of being a “fraud” over the failure of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative to meet its ambitious savings target.
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon told the Washington Post that Bessent’s words provoked Musk to ram into him “like a rugby player,” setting off a chaotic exchange outside the national security advisor’s office.
By the time Musk stepped down last week, the DOGE program had saved just over $175 billion—far short of its original $2 trillion goal, according to Trending Politics.
The confrontation, reportedly broken up by nearby staffers, ultimately led to Musk being escorted from the West Wing.
According to Bannon, Trump responded to the incident by saying, “This is