Scoop: Musk vs. Bessent dispute erupted into West Wing shouting match
Source: Axios
4 hours ago
Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent got into a heated shouting match in earshot of President Trump and other officials in the White House last week during a dispute about the IRS, two witnesses and three sources briefed on the matter tell Axios.
"It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing," one witness said of the argument last Thursday. (Bessent's net worth is actually $520 million.)
Why it matters: The clash — with both men in each other's face — showed how much Musk's personality and style have rankled some senior administration officials since he began running roughshod through agencies with DOGE.
The New York Times first reported Friday that Bessent and Musk had a disagreement over who would lead the IRS. But the chest-to-chest clash between the two men a day earlier has not been reported previously. "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," the first witness said. Said a second: "It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud."
Zoom in: Asked about the shouting match, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to comments she made to the Times about how "it's no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country."
"Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process," her statement said. "And ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump." Representatives for Musk and Bessent declined to comment.
Musk has had high-profile disputes with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Trade Adviser Peter Navarro as well.
"Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon's antics are just a bit much," another administration official said.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/2025/04/23/musk-bessent-trump-white-house-irs
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Two men enter, no men leave? 
we only got a Valentine's day party (not condoning violence) And for all who rooted for Hitler and Mussolini to kill each other, they didn't. And for all who wished Russia and China to take each other out, fizzle.
There's still a chance that Trump and Musk will take each other out. They have the egos and the levers of power to do it. I do suspect that Musk bought more than election. I suspect that he bought video from Putin of something profoundly more horrific than pee pee. And that's all that's keeping him in control. How he wields it to his advantage when tariffs and anti-EV sentiment are affecting his pocket book, we don't know.
Can all the defense contracts in the world make up for the damage?
"just enough?"
That's a mighty big "bank to rob" but there will be stiff resistance from incumbents.
But no doubt he has backdoored the treasury computers. Interesting.
Trumpzilla versus BarElon.
