A fresh report sheds light on the behind-the-scenes drama fueling Thursday’s high-profile rift between President Donald J. Trump and tech magnate Elon Musk — and a familiar name is reportedly at the center of it all.

According to a New York Post exposé published Friday, the internal tension that erupted publicly last week has been simmering for months, driven in large part by Sergio Gor, President Trump’s director of presidential personnel. The report, citing five unnamed sources with direct or close ties to the Trump White House, describes Gor as having an entrenched feud with Musk that long predates the president’s second inauguration.

The drama reportedly intensified during the transition period when Musk branded Gor as “sleazy” and criticized his hiring decisions — a grudge match that escalated into open confrontation. In a March 6 cabinet meeting, Musk allegedly confronted Gor in front of the president, blasting his performance.

“Elon was always telling the president ‘Sergio’s not moving fast enough to hire people. He’s not the right guy for the job,’” one insider told the Post. “In front of the entire cabinet, he said that. It’s not just humiliating, but the president starts looking at him like, ‘Why aren’t you doing your f***ing job?’”

The report paints a picture of escalating hostility, with Gor allegedly mocking Musk behind closed doors and taking pleasure in the market woes of Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company. One source described Gor as fixated on Musk, reportedly planting negative press stories and reveling in Tesla stock dips.

“Elon was, like, his obsession, and he would plant a story on Elon and he would send me the link and then send me a screenshot of Tesla’s stock price with a laughing face,” a source said. “I own Tesla stock, so this is not a good thing for me! It showed how intense that fight had become, and how committed and obsessed with it Sergio was, and that’s what I don’t think anybody has really captured.”

But the long-simmering feud apparently reached a breaking point with the abrupt withdrawal of Musk ally Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA. Despite clearing a key Senate committee and nearing confirmation, Isaacman — a successful space entrepreneur and Musk confidant — saw his nomination pulled by President Trump last Saturday, a move that reportedly ignited the “firestorm of insults.”

The Post suggests Gor played a pivotal role in that decision, citing Isaacman’s past political donations — including a $100,000 contribution to a PAC backing then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2021 — as disqualifying.

In a statement to the Post, Gor stood firm in support of President Trump’s decision:

“I fully support President Donald Trump’s decision to remove this nominee. Those who actively supported Democrats in the last cycle have no place in this administration. This was never about Elon, it’s about someone who doesn’t agree with America First Principles.”

While Gor denied harboring revenge motives or celebrating Tesla’s stock dips, the political implications of his involvement are undeniable. Despite public tensions, Musk officially stepped away from White House advisory duties on Friday, and both he and President Trump presented a united front — at least publicly.

Conservative firebrand and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon defended Gor, dismissing the drama as overblown.

“It’s the president and Elon. This has nothing to do with Sergio Gor. Sergio Gor is a staffer that the president has to do things,” Bannon said. “Did Elon have a problem with Sergio? Yes, the fact that we are not hiring enough — guess what? — liberal f***king progressive Democrats.”

The conflict exposes the friction that can arise even within an administration unified by principle — especially when the stakes are as high as the future of the space program and loyalty to America First ideals.