A tense exchange erupted between South African billionaire Elon Musk and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a high-stakes meeting in the White House Cabinet Room, as US President Donald Trump watched in silence, according to The New York Times.
The dispute centered on Musk’s aggressive approach to government downsizing, with Rubio criticizing the Tesla chief’s handling of layoffs, particularly the closure of the United States Agency for International Development, which had been under the State Department’s purview.
Rubio, addressing the room of 20 Cabinet members, accused Musk of disregarding the 1,500 State Department officials who had taken early retirement through buyouts. In a pointed remark, he questioned whether those employees would be rehired only to be dismissed again for the sake of optics.
Musk, in turn, accused Rubio of not implementing enough staff cuts, leading to an escalating confrontation that forced Trump to intervene. The president praised Rubio for his leadership, acknowledging his ability to juggle travel, media appearances, and agency responsibilities.
The clash underscored broader tensions within the Trump administration regarding Musk’s sweeping cost-cutting measures. As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has taken a hardline stance on downsizing federal agencies, drawing pushback from other officials.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also challenged Musk during the meeting, raising concerns over reported attempts to lay off air traffic controllers amid rising safety incidents in US aviation. Musk defended the proposed cuts, arguing that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires were occupying critical roles in air traffic control towers.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins joined the criticism, warning that Musk’s reductions would negatively impact thousands of veterans, a key demographic in Trump’s political base.
Following the heated discussions, Trump sought to ease tensions by ruling that Cabinet secretaries would retain direct control over their departments, with Musk’s DOGE team serving in an advisory capacity—a significant check on Musk’s previously unrestrained influence.
After the meeting, Trump took to social media to emphasize a more measured approach to reducing the federal workforce, stating that the next phase of cuts would be made with a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet.”
Musk, however, defended his stance. “I have built many billion-dollar companies, and I know how to hire the best people,” he asserted during the meeting. Later, on X, he described the discussion as “very productive.”
Despite the detailed report, Trump publicly dismissed claims of a confrontation when asked about it in the Oval Office. “No clash, I was there—you’re just a troublemaker,” he told a reporter. “Elon gets along great with Marco, and they’re both doing a fantastic job.”
The president further praised Rubio’s performance as Secretary of State and described Musk as a “unique guy” who had done “a fantastic job.” However, Trump’s decision to rein in Musk’s influence suggests that the billionaire’s aggressive cost-cutting approach may face increasing resistance within the administration.
