New report alleges a physical altercation between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the White House, sparked by Bessent calling Musk a “fraud.” The scuffle is reportedly what led to Musk’s removal from the West Wing.
A new report published by The Washington Post on Saturday details a heated physical altercation between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the White House in mid-April, an incident that reportedly ignited the billionaire’s dramatic falling-out with President Donald Trump.
According to former White House official Steven Bannon, who was quoted in The Washington Post report, the confrontation occurred after both men presented rival plans for the Internal Revenue Service to President Trump in the Oval Office, with Trump ultimately siding with Bessent.
Bannon recounted that insults were hurled as the two men exited the meeting. “Scott said [to Musk], ‘You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud,'” Bannon stated, referring to Bessent’s efforts to cut federal spending.
The verbal exchange allegedly escalated physically when Musk, described by Bannon as ramming his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage “like a rugby player,” prompted a physical response from the Treasury chief.
Bannon claimed that multiple individuals were required to separate the two, and the SpaceX and Tesla founder was subsequently removed from the West Wing.
“President Trump heard about it and said, ‘This is too much,'” said Bannon.
This revelation follows the ongoing public acrimony between Musk and President Trump, following Musk’s sharp criticism of a proposed budget bill backed by the president, which he described as a “disgusting abomination.”
In response, President Trump reportedly threatened to revoke federal contracts awarded to Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Starlink. He also warned that if Musk supported Democratic candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, “he will pay the price.”
In a stunning real-time counter-response on X, Musk immediately refuted Trump’s claims. He denied any prior detailed knowledge of the agenda bill’s inner workings and reiterated that the removal of the EV tax credit was not the basis of his opposition.
Musk then escalated the feud, claiming that Trump and congressional Republicans would have lost the 2024 election without his support. He further engaged his followers by asking whether he should create a new political party.
In a particularly sensational claim, Musk asserted that the President is “in the Epstein files” and that this is the “real reason” those records have not been publicly released. Musk offered no evidence to support this claim and he subsequently deleted those posts.
Adding to the dramatic exchange, Musk publicly agreed with an X post advocating for President Trump’s impeachment and for Vice President JD Vance to succeed him.
The White House and Treasury Department have not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident between Musk and Bessent, nor have representatives for Musk.
