Elon Musk has launched a social media campaign following reports of a confrontation with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, which has highlighted his waning influence within the Trump administration. This situation marks a significant rise in tensions that have affected his four-month tenure in government.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, faced increased scrutiny after The Atlantic published an article titled “The Decline and Fall of Elon Musk.” The profile detailed his isolation while leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk responded on X, dismissing the publication as a “zombie publication” and mocking its major owner, Laurene Powell Jobs.
The Atlantic’s report began with an account of a heated argument in April between Musk and Bessent in the West Wing concerning the leadership of the Internal Revenue Service. Witnesses reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent yelled profanities at Musk during the disagreement over the IRS leadership.
Witnesses described the April 2025 incident as an unusual breach of White House decorum. “It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing,” one witness said. The argument occurred within earshot of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was visiting President Donald Trump. An aide had to physically separate the two as their disagreement extended from the Oval Office through the West Wing corridors.
The dispute revolved around Musk’s appointment of Gary Shapley as acting IRS commissioner without Bessent’s consent. Shapley, a former IRS agent who was a whistleblower in the Hunter Biden tax investigation, was Musk’s preferred candidate. Bessent had proposed his deputy, Michael Faulkender, to lead the agency under the Treasury Department’s oversight.
During the argument, Bessent criticized Musk for overpromising budget cuts through DOGE and underdelivering results. Witnesses reported that Musk countered by calling Bessent a “Soros agent” and accusing him of running a failed hedge fund. Bessent ultimately succeeded when Trump replaced Shapley with Faulkender after three days.
The confrontation highlighted broader tensions between Musk and Trump administration officials. In March, Musk faced criticism from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during another White House meeting. Sources indicated that Cabinet members were frustrated with Musk’s perceived overreach into their agencies.
Administration officials have criticized Musk’s management style and approach to government efficiency. Several senior Trump officials described Musk as abrasive, with some considering him one of the most challenging individuals they have encountered in government. His Silicon Valley approach of moving quickly has clashed with the federal bureaucracy’s slower pace, causing friction with career officials and political appointees.
Musk’s role as a special government employee limits his service to 130 days within a year, affecting his timeline in Washington, D.C. If his tenure began on Inauguration Day, January 20, his 130-day limit would expire by the end of May. Musk announced during a Tesla earnings call in April that he would reduce his government involvement starting in May. “Probably starting next month, in May, my time allocation at DOGE will drop significantly,” Musk said. He indicated he would spend only one or two days per week on government matters for the rest of Trump’s term.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has had mixed results under Musk’s leadership. DOGE successfully terminated several government grants and contracts while encouraging the firing of thousands of federal employees across various agencies. The organization accessed sensitive Treasury Department payment systems containing Americans’ Social Security numbers and bank account information, showing unprecedented access to government data systems.
However, DOGE has not fulfilled its promises of massive budget savings or deficit reduction. Government spending rose 10 percent compared to the previous year. According to Treasury Department data, revenue grew only 3 percent, leading to a 23 percent increase in the federal deficit as of March 31. Some of Musk’s initiatives, including weekly progress reports from federal employees, have been quietly abandoned.
The tension between Musk and Bessent partly stems from their differing philosophies and personalities. Musk advocates for rapid change, similar to his approach when acquiring Twitter in 2022, while Bessent favors a more traditional approach to financial management. Their relationship was strained from the beginning, as Musk had lobbied for Howard Lutnick to be appointed Treasury Secretary instead of Bessent.
President Trump has consistently defended Musk’s work with DOGE despite internal conflicts. The president told reporters that Musk was uncovering fraud, corruption, and waste within the federal government. Trump has stated he would prevent Musk from working on any government matters that might create conflicts of interest with his business ventures.
Congressional Democrats have initiated investigations into DOGE’s access to sensitive data systems and challenged the organization’s authority to shut down federal agencies. A group of 19 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit questioning DOGE’s constitutional authority, while Senate Democrats investigated reports that the organization accessed federal student loan data without proper authorization.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s handling of internal disagreements, stating that conflicts are a normal part of any healthy policy process. She emphasized that all officials serve at the pleasure of President Trump, who makes final decisions on policy matters. One unnamed Trump adviser expressed frustration with Musk’s methods. “I think everyone’s ready to move on from this part of the administration,” the adviser said.
Musk’s reduced schedule beginning in May reflects both the constraints of his special government employee status and Tesla’s declining performance, which has prompted investor pressure for him to refocus on the electric vehicle company. His announcement came during a Tesla earnings call where the company reported disappointing sales figures, contributing to stock price declines that have affected his personal wealth and influence.
As of May 25, 2025, Elon Musk has announced a return to a “24/7” work schedule focusing on his companies, including X, Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Despite Musk’s reduced involvement, DOGE continues to operate within the Trump administration, with ongoing initiatives and controversies.
