- Bessent “roared” back, at one point allegedly shouting “F**k you,” to which Musk replied, “Say it louder.”
Elon Musk Has ‘F-Word Screaming Match’ Feet From Oval Office
“It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” one witness told Axios.
The fight was within earshot of President Donald Trump, two eyewitnesses told Axios. An aide had to physically get between the two men to end the fight.
- The dispute started in the Oval and the two took it outside to the hall, with Musk calling Bessent, a billionaire in his own right, “failed.”
- The fight last Thursday was over who should run the IRS.
- Shapley was Musk’s choice, while Bessent wanted his deputy, Michael Faulkender, to get the job.
- Bessent accused Musk of going over his head to see that Shapley was named to the role.
- “It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” a witness told the outlet, which reported that an aide had to separate the two.
- A second witness added of the exchange: “It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud.”
“It’s no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country,” she said. “Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process, and ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”
- Since Trump’s personnel announcement, Bessent seems to have won: Shapley was removed Friday and replaced by Faulkender—just three days after being appointed.
- Bessent didn’t allude to any behind-the-scenes difficulties in a statement which effectively fired Shapley.
- “Trust must be brought back to the IRS, and I am fully confident that Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender is the right man for the moment,” he said.
- “Gary Shapley’s passion and thoughtfulness for approaching ways by which to create durable and lasting reforms at the IRS is essential to our work, and he remains among my most important senior advisors at the U.S. Treasury.”
- As a “special government employee,” Musk’s number of work days per year is capped at 130.
Musk and Bessent had ‘WWE fight’ in White House – Axios
Tech billionaire Elon Musk and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were involved in a heated shouting match inside the White House last week, reportedly trading expletives and personal insults during a confrontation over leadership of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to Axios.
The incident reportedly unfolded in the West Wing on Thursday within earshot of President Donald Trump and visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The two men argued over Trump’s recent decision to name Gary Shapley, Musk’s preferred candidate, as acting IRS commissioner – a move that blindsided Bessent, who had lobbied for his deputy, Michael Faulkender. . .
The clash did not escalate into physical violence, but was loud enough to be heard in nearby offices, according to multiple sources. Witnesses said an aide had to physically step in between the two men to prevent the situation from intensifying.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the incident, telling the New York Times that “disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” and that “ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”
- Bessent ultimately came out on top, with Shapley replaced by Faulkender just days after the appointment.
Musk-Bessent clash over IRS turns heated at White House
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