>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
Bannon claimed that Musk, furious after being called a fraud, charged at Bessent like a rugby player, slamming his shoulder into the Treasury chief. Bessent didn’t back down and reportedly fought back. The scuffle grew so intense it spilled toward the national security advisor’s office before being broken up by stunned staffers.
“President Trump heard about it and said, ‘This is too much,’” Bannon said.
That physical confrontation appears to have been the breaking point in what had already become a contentious relationship. Musk was removed from the West Wing and shortly after, he vacated his DOGE position. Despite the outburst, President Trump has continued to speak positively about Musk’s impact.
Sources say the drama behind the scenes is what led to Musk’s bizarre series of deleted social media posts last week. The billionaire tech mogul shocked followers when he accused President Trump of being tied to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal—a baseless charge he later scrubbed from his X (formerly Twitter) account. He also called for the president’s impeachment in now-deleted posts.
The White House has remained largely tight-lipped. Asked about the explosive incident during an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a carefully worded response.
“When this story originally broke, I said from the podium that there have definitely been healthy disagreements amongst the cabinet and Elon Musk. There were times in which they got frustrated with one another, but I think that really speaks to the heart of this cabinet and the president’s team, that they can have these robust disagreements and then still come together to do what’s right for the people they are serving.”
Leavitt also confirmed that Trump personally thanked Musk for his government service and presented him with a symbolic key to the White House following his departure. But despite the warm sendoff, Musk has since launched a fierce campaign to dismantle legislation he once supported, dubbing it his “kill the bill” crusade online.
“And you saw when President Trump graciously sent Elon Musk back to his companies, Secretary Besant was there in the Oval Office, along with Secretary Lutnick and Stephen Miller. I was there. The chief of staff was there. And we were all hoping for the best for Elon,” Leavitt said.
“And I think it’s unfortunate that now that he’s gone back to his companies, he is lambasting this bill that he was very much supportive of by all accounts,” she added.
President Trump addressed the controversy on Friday, chalking up Musk’s sudden opposition to the elimination of Biden-era electric vehicle subsidies—a perk Musk’s companies once benefited from. Musk denies that’s the reason for his change of heart but has slammed new incentives for gas-powered vehicles as “unfair.”
“I mean he never spoke out against it until he went back to his companies and that’s okay. He has a right to speak for his companies but the president and the Treasury Secretary and this whole cabinet are working on behalf of the country,” Leavitt said. “So everyone is focused on moving forward now.”
While the administration attempts to shift gears, questions continue to swirl about the real reason behind Musk’s meltdown and his apparent attempt to torpedo key legislation he once helped craft. The full story behind the DOGE drama may not be over just yet—and if the explosive altercation is any indication, the next chapter could be even more chaotic.
