Did Elon Musk Get Physical With Treasury Secretary Inside Oval Office? Donald Trump vs Tesla CEO Feud Decoded

In the middle of April 2025, Elon Musk got into a fight with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent inside the White House. The fight made things worse between Musk and Trump, who was president at the time. Reports citing Trump ally Steve Bannon say that the fight happened after both men asked Trump in the Oval Office for their preferred choice to lead the government agency that collects taxes. 

As they were leaving, Bessent addressed Musk about his broken promise to find over $1 trillion in government waste and called him a "fraud." In answer, Musk hit Bessent in the ribs with his shoulder "like a rugby player." According to the Washington Post, which cited trump ally Steve Bannon, Musk rammed his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage like a rugby player. This started a short fight, but someone stopped it, and Musk was led out of the West Wing. It is said that President Trump called what happened "too much."

The Fallout: From Friends to Enemies

This dramatic event happened during a larger and more public fight between Musk and Trump. They used to be friends, but their friendship got worse when they had different ideas about policy and government spending. Trump threatened to cut off government contracts and funding to Musk's companies after Musk said bad things about his tax and spending plans.

Effects on Politics and Finances

The tense situation spread to social media, where Musk backed calls to impeach Trump and Trump said he was "greatly disappointed" in Musk. There are big political and economic effects of the fight, like a big drop in the value of Tesla's stock and doubts about Musk's involvement in government projects.

At last, Musk and Trump's Relationship Takes a Turn

The fight in the White House between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was a turning point in Musk's friendship with Donald Trump. It showed how deeply they disagreed on both personal and political issues in 2025.