Musk vs. Bessent: White House Brushes Off Reports of Physical Clash in Fiery Cabinet Dispute
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-era media wouldn’t touch this with a ten-foot pole, but sources are now confirming what conservative insiders have suspected for weeks: tensions inside President Donald J. Trump's Cabinet reached a boiling point this April when Elon Musk allegedly "body-checked" Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a heated confrontation at the White House.
While mainstream outlets are tiptoeing around the story, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures to clarify the nature of the incident. Leavitt, a reliable voice for transparency in the Trump administration, firmly rejected overblown media characterizations of a “fistfight,” but acknowledged there was a “robust disagreement” between the two high-profile figures.
“I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a fistfight, Maria,” Leavitt said, addressing Fox host Maria Bartiromo. “It was definitely a disagreement, although I was not there. I didn’t witness it with my own eyes.”
Leavitt reaffirmed her earlier statements that disagreements among cabinet members—and even with the President’s top allies like Musk—are not just common, but evidence of a dynamic, truth-driven administration.
“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 added.
The confrontation, first brought to light by longtime Trump confidant Steve Bannon, reportedly escalated when Musk took exception to Bessent calling him a “fraud.”
“Scott said [to Musk], ‘You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud,’” Bannon told The Washington Post. “Then Musk rammed into Bessent’s rib cage like a rugby player.”
Multiple witnesses in the room had to separate the men, according to Bannon. President Trump, upon hearing about the altercation, reportedly remarked, “This is too much.”
The clash occurred during a pivotal meeting where both Musk and Bessent presented rival candidates to lead the Internal Revenue Service. Ultimately, President Trump sided with Bessent’s recommendation—a blow to Musk, who had advocated for then-Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to instead lead Treasury. Trump, always the strategic thinker, later appointed Lutnick as Secretary of Commerce.
According to The New York Post, Bessent also took a jab at Musk for failing to meet his ambitious promise of cutting $1 trillion in wasteful federal spending. That barb reportedly contributed to Musk’s now-public frustration.
Still, Leavitt insists the administration has “moved on” and is laser-focused on advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping legislative push aimed at cutting government waste and defending American taxpayers.
While Musk lashed out publicly last week, criticizing the legislation and briefly turning on Trump, reports from Politico suggest backchannel efforts are already underway to mend the rift.
“The shaky detente in the social media strife between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk is holding following a call between representatives for both sides Friday,” two White House officials told Politico.
Trump, notably, has held his fire on Truth Social—a rare moment of restraint that signals the door is still open for reconciliation.
Even Musk’s estranged father, Errol Musk, weighed in on the feud, revealing to Al Arabiya English that he had encouraged his son to smooth things over with the President.
“I did send him a message… telling him, make sure this fizzles out,” he said. Asked whether the two titans would reconcile, he replied, “Of course.”