Donald Trump responds to claims Elon Musk and Marco Rubio had 'explosive' clash during White House meeting
The two disputed over the approach to staffing cuts
President Trump responded to the reported 'clash' between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk at the White House.
According to a New York Times report, the two disputed over the extent of staffing cuts implemented by Rubio, as Trump observed the discussion.
Rubio has reportedly been furious with the tech billionaire for weeks since his team closed down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
During the meeting, the president clarified to his Cabinet members that they - not Musk - had the authority to make final decisions on staffing and policy within their respective agencies.
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Meanwhile, the Tesla and SpaceX founder accused Rubio of firing 'nobody' and remarked that he was only good for television. In response, Trump backed Rubio’s work as Secretary of State and insisted everyone work together.
As per the Times, Rubio pushed back and highlighted the 1,500 State Department employees who have taken early retirement buyouts. He then sarcastically asked the world's richest man whether he wanted to rehire all those people just to fire them again.
Since then, Trump has denied the Times report and dismissed the idea of any serious dispute when asked about it in the Oval Office.
"No clash, I was there,” he told a reporter who asked about the report, calling them a 'troublemaker.'
He added: “Elon gets along great with Marco and they’re both doing a fantastic job. Marco has done unbelievably as Secretary of State. And Elon is a unique guy and has done a fantastic job.”
Over on his social media, Truth Social, Trump dismissed the news reports as "fake news!!!"
Musk’s cost-cutting efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been met with resistance from officials in Washington.
While the president has been supportive of reducing bureaucracy, his tone has switched towards a more measured approach, insisting that the cuts are done with a 'scalpel' instead of a 'hatchet.'
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy agreed and called Trump's methods the 'right approach' to streamline the government.
“The President’s approach of a scalpel versus a hatchet and better coordination between Secretaries and DOGE is the right approach to revolutionizing the way our government is run. USDOT will continue to work closely with elonmusk,” Duffy posted on X.
Beyond internal debates, the administration’s cost-cutting measures are also facing legal challenges.
A coalition of federal employee unions recently sued over planned mass layoffs.
A federal judge ruled that the admin must continue payments to contractors and nonprofits connected to USAID.