Since Donald Trump won the election two weeks ago, mega-donor Elon Musk has remained close to the president-elect, whether sharing an airborne McDonald’s meal with him, or grabbing a bite to eat. UFC events from front-row seats in the ring, or just hanging out around Mar-a-Lago days at a time. Throughout the camaraderie, Musk has sought to directly (albeit unofficially) influence the White House transition, listening in on Trump’s calls with foreign leaders and influencing things. cabinet appointments as he prepares to downsize federal agencies as head of a new “efficiency” office named after an old Reddit meme.
Predictably, this level of involvement has infuriated some in Trump’s inner circle as they vie for his attention. The internal hostilities have so far led to at least one “massive explosion” or “huge explosion” at last week’s Mar-a-Lago dinner, according to sources who spoke to Axios. Musk had a heated exchange with Trump adviser Boris Epstein, who also consulted Trump on his cabinet picks and backed former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general – a choice that drew immediate attention to the House Ethics Committee’s investigation of Gaetz for alleged sexual offenses. (Gaetz resigned from Congress before the committee could issue its report.)
According to Axios’ sources, Musk questioned Epshteyn’s recommendations, especially regarding the hiring of Justice Department staff and the gathering of White House advisors. Eventually, a tense confrontation between the two erupted in front of other Mar-a-Lago guests last Wednesday, with Musk accusing Epshteyn of leaking details about Trump’s transition to the press, and Epshteyn protesting that he had no idea what Musk was insinuating. . Musk has since gone public with his preferred choice for Treasury Secretary – Howard Lutnick, Trump’s transition co-chairman – arguing that he is a better choice than another major contender, hedge fund manager Scott Besant. His very visible endorsement on X (formerly Twitter) suggests he is continuing the power struggle for the position.
While Musk has his share of close Trump allies – including sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. as well as Vice President-elect J.D. Vance – other prominent advisers and donors have expressed frustration with Musk before. For example, some expressed concern that Musk’s disorganized efforts to get out the vote through his super PAC could cost Trump dearly in swing states. Now that Trump has won, they are troubled by Musk’s continued involvement in political strategizing. “He acts like he’s a co-president and makes sure everyone knows it,” a longtime member of Trump’s inner circle told NBC News during Musk’s stay. NBC News said during Musk’s extended stay at Mar-a-Lago after the election. They added that the billionaire kept bragging about his PAC and “taking a lot of credit for the president’s victory,” which bothered some.
“People are not happy,” one person connected to the campaign also said. the Washington Post about Musk’s efforts to form a cabinet and reckless social media posts regarding the transition and economic policy. The Tesla CEO, for example, on Saturday praised Argentine President Javier Miley for moving to lower import tariffs, while Trump has repeatedly promised to raise them in the U.S.
For his part, Trump has continued to embrace and praise Musk, even while joking in public statements that he “can’t be taken out of Mar-a-Lago.” With Musk promising to keep the PAC working to increase Republican voter registration during the 2026 midterm elections, it seems he could remain useful to the MAGA cause for years to come. However, both men are known to crave the limelight, and their rift may not be for reasons of political expediency, but for reasons of ego. For example the New York Times In recent days, Musk reportedly entered the Mar-a-Lago dining room about half an hour after Trump and received a “similar standing ovation” as president-elect.
Much of this sort of thing could easily upset Trump about Musk, especially as he prepares to move his team into the Oval Office. But until the world’s richest man transcends his role in a way that offends the equally volatile Trump, advisers annoyed by his presence will have to stand with or around him.
A source