President Donald Trump on Sunday denied reports of a heated clash between his senior adviser, Elon Musk, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House meeting on government cost-cutting measures.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump dismissed the reports as “fake news,” insisting, “Elon and Marco have a great relationship. Any statement other than that is fake news!!!”
According to The New York Times, tensions boiled over during a cabinet meeting chaired by Trump, with Musk accusing Rubio of failing to cut enough staff at the State Department. The billionaire, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reportedly criticised Rubio for firing “nobody” in the administration’s first 45 days, despite the administration’s sweeping efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
Rubio pushed back, pointing to the 1,500 State Department officials who had taken early retirement. In a sarcastic retort, he asked Musk whether he should rehire them just to fire them again. Trump, who had been observing the exchange, eventually stepped in to defend Rubio, calling him “very busy” and insisting that everyone needed to work together.
While Trump has long supported Musk’s efficiency drive, he appeared to shift gears, announcing that while cuts would continue, they would now be carried out with a “scalpel, not a hatchet.” This statement was widely interpreted as a move to rein in Musk’s aggressive approach.
Reports indicate that tensions between Musk and senior officials have been growing for weeks. The billionaire’s Silicon Valley-style cost-cutting has led to friction, with department heads accusing DOGE of overstepping its authority. A separate clash reportedly took place between Musk and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who accused DOGE of attempting to lay off critical air traffic controllers amid ongoing aviation concerns. Musk allegedly responded by calling the claim a “lie.”
Following the meeting, he announced that cabinet secretaries would take the lead on cost-cutting, with DOGE advising rather than making unilateral decisions. According to the New York Times, this marked the first clear sign that Trump was willing to impose limits on Musk’s influence, following growing concerns among Republican lawmakers about the billionaire’s sweeping authority.
Despite the reported tensions, Musk later described the meeting as “very productive” and downplayed suggestions that his authority had been curbed. Trump also reiterated his support for DOGE, stating, “They’ve done an amazing job,” but emphasised that he wanted his cabinet members to retain “good people.”
The administration’s cost-cutting push has faced intense scrutiny, particularly from Democrats and labour unions, who have criticised the rapid downsizing. Some Republicans have also expressed concerns, particularly after controversial cuts were reversed, such as the rehiring of National Nuclear Security Administration regulators and a rollback of a 20% reduction in staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s World Trade Center Health Program.