A heated confrontation between Elon Musk and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly unfolded last week in the White House over IRS reform. The disagreement took place in the halls of the White House and reportedly became so intense that both men were face to face and shouting, with president Trump nearby.
The core of the dispute, first reported by Axios, was the fundamentally different approach each man brings to government reform. “Elon was shouting and rambling and Scott just wasn’t putting up with it,” one source told. Another added, “Bessent has two mandates: reform and stabilise. Elon has one: break things in the process of reform.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was also present and, according to one source, sided with Musk during the exchange.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the incident by saying, “Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process. Ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”
According to a New York Times report, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes that Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), went around him to get Gary Shapley appointed as the interim head of the IRS — even though the IRS falls under Bessent’s direct authority. Trump replaced Shapley with Michael Faulkende following a reported complaint from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to the president.
Musk has had previous public disputes with senior members of the administration. In November, he openly pushed for Lutnick to become Treasury Secretary over Bessent, calling Bessent a “business-as-usual” pick. He also attacked senior trade adviser Peter Navarro on X, calling him a “moron” over comments about Tesla’s manufacturing.
Musk’s role as a special government employee is set to conclude at the end of May. He told Tesla shareholders he may still contribute to DOGE matters one or two days a week.