Heated Dispute Between Musk and Rubio, Reports NYT
Marco Rubio and Elon Musk engaged in a confrontation regarding allegations that the secretary of state is not effectively reducing staff numbers, according to claims from the NYT. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Two allies of U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly had a confrontation regarding the Secretary of State's staffing decisions, as noted by the New York Times.
During a closed-door cabinet meeting at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, engaged in a heated exchange. According to the report, the disagreement arose after Musk accused Rubio of not making sufficient staff cuts in his department. In turn, Rubio expressed his frustrations over Musk's attacks on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Sources indicate that the "extraordinary" meeting, attended by Trump and around 20 senior officials, led to tensions. Musk reportedly confronted Rubio, stating, “You have fired nobody.” He further suggested that the only person Rubio may have let go was a member of the DOGE staff.
Rubio defended himself by highlighting that over 1,500 State Department employees had accepted early retirement buyouts, challenging Musk's expectations. He asked Musk if he should rehire and then dismiss those individuals merely to give the illusion of deeper cuts, all while outlining his restructuring plans for the department.
The report further indicates that Rubio's frustration with Musk has been building for weeks, stemming from Musk's campaign to effectively dismantle USAID, which now falls under his purview. Musk has accused the agency of being inefficient and corrupt.
Musk remained unsatisfied with Rubio's arguments, dismissing him as merely “good on TV.” As the tension escalated, Trump intervened, asserting that the Secretary of State is doing a “great job” and encouraging collaboration between the two.
The New York Times speculated that this confrontation could be an early indicator of Trump attempting to limit Musk's influence. While many senior officials support efforts to cut waste in government, they reportedly feel frustrated with Musk's aggressive tactics.
Before his clash with Rubio, Musk also had a disagreement with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy regarding air traffic control funding and staffing, prompting another intervention from Trump to ease the situation.
Trump has publicly denied any discord, responding to inquiries by stating that there is “no clash” between Musk and Rubio. He referred to the journalist who raised the question as a “troublemaker,” asserting that, “Elon gets along great with Marco and they’re both doing a fantastic job.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a closed-door cabinet meeting at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, engaged in a heated exchange. According to the report, the disagreement arose after Musk accused Rubio of not making sufficient staff cuts in his department. In turn, Rubio expressed his frustrations over Musk's attacks on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Sources indicate that the "extraordinary" meeting, attended by Trump and around 20 senior officials, led to tensions. Musk reportedly confronted Rubio, stating, “You have fired nobody.” He further suggested that the only person Rubio may have let go was a member of the DOGE staff.
Rubio defended himself by highlighting that over 1,500 State Department employees had accepted early retirement buyouts, challenging Musk's expectations. He asked Musk if he should rehire and then dismiss those individuals merely to give the illusion of deeper cuts, all while outlining his restructuring plans for the department.
The report further indicates that Rubio's frustration with Musk has been building for weeks, stemming from Musk's campaign to effectively dismantle USAID, which now falls under his purview. Musk has accused the agency of being inefficient and corrupt.
Musk remained unsatisfied with Rubio's arguments, dismissing him as merely “good on TV.” As the tension escalated, Trump intervened, asserting that the Secretary of State is doing a “great job” and encouraging collaboration between the two.
The New York Times speculated that this confrontation could be an early indicator of Trump attempting to limit Musk's influence. While many senior officials support efforts to cut waste in government, they reportedly feel frustrated with Musk's aggressive tactics.
Before his clash with Rubio, Musk also had a disagreement with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy regarding air traffic control funding and staffing, prompting another intervention from Trump to ease the situation.
Trump has publicly denied any discord, responding to inquiries by stating that there is “no clash” between Musk and Rubio. He referred to the journalist who raised the question as a “troublemaker,” asserting that, “Elon gets along great with Marco and they’re both doing a fantastic job.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
