Profanity was flying, with 'F***' everywhere...
The power struggle within the White House is becoming increasingly intense, with Musk and Treasury Secretary Besant exploding into a fierce argument.
The spark for the argument was a disagreement over the leadership of the IRS, with Musk wanting to appoint Gary Shapley as acting IRS director, while Besant preferred to appoint Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.
In the end, it seems that Besant won the appointment of the IRS leader.
Analysts believe this is a struggle for 'control,' and the argument may just be the beginning, with more conflicts likely to arise in the future.
Besant's favored candidate ultimately received Trump's support, which is also seen as a signal of cooling relations between Trump and Musk.
Musk and Besant erupted into a fierce argument
According to media reports on Thursday, just last week, in front of Trump and a group of White House officials, Musk and Treasury Secretary Besant engaged in a foul-mouthed exchange, with profanity flying in a dramatic confrontation!
Insiders revealed that the usually mild-mannered Besant was completely enraged, yelling: 'F*** you!' Musk loudly retorted: 'Say it louder!'
The two also escalated to personal attacks, with Besant furious, claiming Musk was exaggerating the budget cuts for DOGE and making no progress!
Musk is not someone to be trifled with, directly accusing Besant of being a 'Soros agent,' and mocking him for previously running a failed hedge fund, despite Trump having previously praised Besant for his financial acumen.
The situation even escalated to the brink of physical confrontation, with onlookers stating that the conflict was not limited to the Oval Office; Trump witnessed the situation spiral out of control. As they continued their argument down the hallway, tensions reignited!
Insiders recalled that the scene was extremely intense, making a deafening noise. Italian Prime Minister Meloni, who was visiting Trump that day, was also startled, and it took an assistant intervening to separate the two.
The two have long-standing grievances; is Musk being sidelined in the White House?
Behind this argument is a long-standing tense relationship between Musk and Besant.
Musk is known for his 'rapid action and willingness to innovate' style, and is also a social media celebrity. In contrast, Besant is an introspective, thoughtful financial expert, more accustomed to explaining markets than becoming a news figure.
Sources pointed out that the differences in their personalities are the root of the conflict, and this argument also reflects the power struggle between the two. A government official familiar with the disagreements stated:
This is not a struggle over right or wrong, but a battle for control.
During the presidential transition, the relationship between Musk and Besant got off to a rocky start. Musk vigorously lobbied for Howard Lutnick to become Treasury Secretary, but Trump ultimately chose Besant and appointed Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department.
After Trump took office, Musk and Besant had conflicts over Treasury recruitment issues.
However, two months ago, seemingly for appearances' sake, Besant praised Musk as 'the Messi and Jordan,' stating that he 'always keeps his eyes on the target' and has an incredible level of energy.
Last week, the conflict between the two individuals escalated, with a post on X accusing Besant of colluding with 'Trump haters.' Musk wrote 'Disturbing' when he retweeted it. Musk also unfollowed Besant's account.
It is worth mentioning that since Musk began to treat various agencies roughly through DOGE, his personality and style have angered some senior government officials.
Not only with Besant, Musk has also had intense arguments with Secretary of State Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and trade advisor Navarro.
Another government official noted that everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon’s actions are a bit excessive.
Against the backdrop of Musk's reduced frequency of appearances next to Trump in recent weeks, Besant's favored candidate ultimately received Trump's support, which is also seen as a signal of further cooling in the relationship between Trump and Musk.
White House insiders also indicated that, compared to the first few weeks of Trump's presidency, 'Musk has become less of a headache.'