2 weeks Ago By Debadrita Sur
A heated exchange reminiscent of a "WWE" style shouting match took place in the White House on Thursday between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, during a discussion about the Internal Revenue Service. The incident, which occurred last Thursday, was confirmed by two witnesses and three sources who spoke to Axios. One witness likened the spectacle to "It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,".
Musk, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency , has been known to stir controversy with his personality and approach since taking up his role.
His department has notably reduced federal spending and implemented cuts to federal workers. TSA reveals 11 new carry-on items you can take at any size - see the full list Dad makes friend dig own grave and kill himself after raping his daughter, six One witness told Axios, "Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon's antics are just a bit much,". The New York Times initially reported on the heated exchange, but Axios provided further details about the "chest-to-chest clash" between Musk and Bessent, reports the Mirror US.
According to one witness, "They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that's when they did it again,". Another witness described the scene as quite dramatic and very loud. The two men have contrasting personalities, and one witness revealed that "Scott can't stand Musk," However, they added, "That goes pretty deep and pretty far back.
But he's acting like a grown-up about it,". The conflict between Bessent and Musk ignited on April 16, when Trump, siding with Musk's recommendation, named Gary Shapley as acting commissioner of the IRS, bypassing Bessent's preferred candidate, Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender. Feeling slighted, Bessent clashed with Musk at a Thursday meeting, taking aim at him for making excessively ambitious claims regarding the cryptocurrency DOGE.
DON'T MISS: Vince Vaughn's 'shameful' White House visit floors fans Nigel Farage's blunt seven-word warning to Elon Musk after bitter row Jimmy Kimmel calls out Elon Musk as 'fake friend' to Donald Trump In response, Musk branded Bessent as a "Soros agent" and chastised him as the leader of "a failed hedge fund," which escalated to a heated exchange. An aide supposedly had to step in to separate the two during their heated spat. Although Bessent emerged victorious in that encounter according to an Axios insider, "Scott won that round," they also opined, "But I would not want a guy like Musk as an enemy.
" Nonetheless, the turbulence seemed to leave the White House Press Secretary unfazed, as reported by the NYT. When queried about the discord, Leavitt disclosed, "It's no secret President Trump has assembled a team deeply passionate about issues our country faces." While acknowledging internal differences, she clarified in her official response, "Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process," and added, "And ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.
" There was no comment provided to Axios from representatives for either individual involved. In the past, Musk has been known to engage in disputes with figures such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Trade Adviser Peter Navarro..
