REPORT: Elon Musk and Secretary Bessent’s IRS Feud Led to intense West Wing Shouting Match

Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in a loud and tense confrontation at the White House last week, with President Trump and other officials within earshot, according to two eyewitnesses and three individuals familiar with the incident who spoke with Axios.

“It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” one observer said of last Thursday’s incident. (Although Bessent’s net worth stands at $520 million.)

The argument highlighted how Musk’s bold and brash behavior has irritated several high-ranking members of the administration since he began pushing aggressive changes through DOGE.

While The New York Times revealed on Friday that Musk and Bessent clashed over who should oversee the IRS, the dramatic standoff that occurred a day earlier hadn’t previously come to light.

“They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that’s when they did it again,” one of the eyewitnesses recounted.
A second added, “It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud.”

When asked about the altercation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referred back to her statement to the Times, noting, “it’s no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country.”

“Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” she said in the statement. “And ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”

Musk has previously been in public disputes with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Trade Adviser Peter Navarro.

“Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon’s antics are just a bit much,” remarked another senior official in the administration.

Axios explained that tensions between Musk and Bessent go back to the presidential transition period. Musk had pushed hard for Howard Lutnick to become Treasury Secretary, but Trump chose Bessent and appointed Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department instead.

After Trump took office, Musk and Bessent continued to clash over personnel decisions at Treasury.
“It wasn’t a fight about right or wrong. It was about control,” an administration insider explained to the news outlet.

“What surprises a lot of people is Scott is so mild mannered. But he has his limits and he can roar,” said an ally of Bessent who had been informed about the dispute.
“Scott can’t stand” Musk. “That goes pretty deep and pretty far back. But he’s acting like a grown-up about it.”

Bessent called out Musk for failing to deliver on DOGE’s promised budget cuts. Musk shot back, labeling Bessent a “Soros agent” and accusing him of managing “a failed hedge fund.” (Trump has previously praised Bessent’s financial expertise.)

The dispute escalated to the point that a staffer had to physically intervene to separate them. The altercation took place in earshot of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was visiting that day.