Musk and Bessent Engaged in a ‘WWE fight’ at the White House, Reports Axios
# The two clashed over who should control the Internal Revenue Service Tech billionaire Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found themselves in a heated shouting match inside the White House last week, reportedly exchanging expletives...
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# The two clashed over who should control the Internal Revenue Service
Tech billionaire Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found themselves in a heated shouting match inside the White House last week, reportedly exchanging expletives and personal insults during a confrontation regarding the leadership of the IRS, as reported by Axios.
The incident took place in the West Wing on Thursday, within earshot of President Donald Trump and visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Their argument centered around Trump’s recent decision to appoint Gary Shapley, Musk’s favored candidate, as acting IRS commissioner—a shocking development for Bessent, who had been advocating for his deputy, Michael Faulkender.
“It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” a witness recounted to Axios.
Musk accused Bessent, a former partner at Soros Fund Management and the founder of Key Square Group, of being a “Soros agent.” Bessent “roared” back, allegedly shouting “F**k you,” to which Musk responded, “Say it louder.”
Though the confrontation did not lead to physical violence, it was reportedly “loud” enough to be heard throughout nearby offices. Multiple sources indicated that an aide had to step between the two men to prevent the situation from escalating.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay the incident, telling The New York Times that “disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” adding that “ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”
In the end, Bessent emerged victorious, as Shapley was replaced by Faulkender just days after his appointment.
“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,” Bessent stated on X Friday afternoon. “Gary Shapley’s passion and thoughtfulness for approaching ways 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 [US Treasury] as we work together to rethink and reform the IRS.”
This altercation underscores ongoing tensions between Musk and Bessent, which date back to the presidential transition when Musk unsuccessfully campaigned for Howard Lutnick to lead the Treasury Department. Instead, Trump appointed Bessent and nominated Lutnick to head the Commerce Department. Since then, Musk and Bessent have frequently clashed over personnel and policy issues, including Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cost-cutting initiative, which Bessent claims has not fulfilled its promises.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
Tech billionaire Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found themselves in a heated shouting match inside the White House last week, reportedly exchanging expletives and personal insults during a confrontation regarding the leadership of the IRS, as reported by Axios.
The incident took place in the West Wing on Thursday, within earshot of President Donald Trump and visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Their argument centered around Trump’s recent decision to appoint Gary Shapley, Musk’s favored candidate, as acting IRS commissioner—a shocking development for Bessent, who had been advocating for his deputy, Michael Faulkender.
“It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” a witness recounted to Axios.
Musk accused Bessent, a former partner at Soros Fund Management and the founder of Key Square Group, of being a “Soros agent.” Bessent “roared” back, allegedly shouting “F**k you,” to which Musk responded, “Say it louder.”
Though the confrontation did not lead to physical violence, it was reportedly “loud” enough to be heard throughout nearby offices. Multiple sources indicated that an aide had to step between the two men to prevent the situation from escalating.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay the incident, telling The New York Times that “disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” adding that “ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”
In the end, Bessent emerged victorious, as Shapley was replaced by Faulkender just days after his appointment.
“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,” Bessent stated on X Friday afternoon. “Gary Shapley’s passion and thoughtfulness for approaching ways 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 [US Treasury] as we work together to rethink and reform the IRS.”
This altercation underscores ongoing tensions between Musk and Bessent, which date back to the presidential transition when Musk unsuccessfully campaigned for Howard Lutnick to lead the Treasury Department. Instead, Trump appointed Bessent and nominated Lutnick to head the Commerce Department. Since then, Musk and Bessent have frequently clashed over personnel and policy issues, including Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cost-cutting initiative, which Bessent claims has not fulfilled its promises.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
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