The power struggle between Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump has taken a new turn with shocking insider accounts revealing a physical altercation between Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent inside the White House. The incident reportedly occurred in mid-April and has further strained what was once a powerful alliance between Musk and the Trump administration.
Musk vs Scott Bessent
According to right-wing strategist and podcaster Stephen K Bannon, tensions boiled over during a heated dispute between Musk and Bessent over who would lead the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Both men were reportedly lobbying for their preferred candidates to be appointed as acting IRS Commissioner. As the disagreement escalated, the two exited the White House and traded verbal insults. Bessent, frustrated over Musk’s alleged failure to deliver on promises to slash $1 trillion in government waste via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reportedly yelled, “You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud.”
Bannon claims Musk then charged at Bessent and rammed his shoulder into his ribcage “like a rugby player,” prompting Bessent to retaliate. The scuffle quickly drew the attention of nearby staff, with multiple people rushing in to break up the altercation. Musk was reportedly escorted out of the West Wing soon after.
What Trump said on Musk-Bessent fight?
“President Trump heard about it and said, ‘This is too much,’” Bannon told The Washington Post. Bannon, a long-time Trump ally and frequent critic of Musk, had earlier spoken to The Daily Mail about the incident, describing it as a culmination of Musk’s failure to deliver tangible results as DOGE chief.
While Musk’s tenure was initially hailed as innovative, frustration reportedly grew within the administration as the entrepreneur failed to produce evidence supporting his claim of uncovering over $1 trillion in wasteful spending. According to insiders, this confrontation was not an isolated event but rather the final blow in a series of clashes between Musk and senior officials.
Musk vs Trump
The physical altercation is only one part of a wider, bitter public feud between Musk and Trump. In recent weeks, Musk has aggressively criticised Trump’s $4 trillion tax and spending proposal—dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Musk took to X (formerly Twitter), urging Americans to “KILL THE BILL,” warning that it would plunge the country deeper into debt slavery.
Trump, once a vocal supporter of Musk, has responded sharply. Speaking in the Oval Office last week, he expressed disappointment in the Tesla CEO, stating, “I’ve helped Elon a lot,” before accusing him of “going crazy.”
According to sources close to the President, Trump also privately referred to Musk as a “drug addict,” allegedly citing erratic behaviour and his public tirades. Trump further threatened to terminate the “billions and billions” of federal dollars in contracts and subsidies benefiting Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
The feud took an even darker turn when Musk accused the Trump administration of withholding documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting they contained damaging information implicating Trump.