Elon Musk, Shoved and Sidelined in West Wing Brawl
President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in the Cabinet Room. Official White House Photo by Molly Roberts. Public domain.
It was supposed to be another tightly controlled day inside Trump's West Wing.
Then Elon Musk showed up.
By lunchtime on April 17, 2025, Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had turned the White House into a political wrestling ring, with President Donald Trump as an unwilling ringside witness.
What began as a dispute over an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) appointment spiraled into a profane, chest-to-chest shouting match that nearly turned physical. Witnesses say Musk shoved Bessent. Bessent hurled expletives. Trump watched and then chose sides. The message was clear — Elon's influence was slipping.
The Silicon Valley Visionary vs. The Wall Street Veteran
At the heart of the chaos was a bureaucratic tug-of-war. Musk, who led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wanted IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley installed as acting commissioner. Bessent wanted Michael Faulkender, his deputy. Musk pushed Shapley in without Bessent's consent — a move that backfired almost immediately.
Bessent reportedly confronted Musk, criticizing him for overpromising and under-delivering DOGE's projected $2 trillion in federal cuts, which had barely reached $170 billion by April. According to Axios, Musk retaliated by mocking Bessent's Wall Street past, calling him a "Soros agent" and accusing him of running "a failed hedge fund."
That's when the shouting started.
Trump Watches the Drama Unfold
What happened next is a bit murky, but sources seem to agree that some kind of physical fight broke out.
"They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that's when they did it again," one official told Axios, implying the fight became physical once they left the Oval Office.
Another source, quoted by Newsweek, said, "It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing."
According to Steve Bannon, who spoke to the Daily Beast, Musk "got physical" and allegedly shoved Bessent after being called out for DOGE's underwhelming results. "It wasn't an argument, it was a physical confrontation. Elon basically shoved him," Bannon added.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the April 17 confrontation but declined to elaborate on specifics. According to Newsweek, she said, "It's no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country."
In the wake of the alleged fight, Musk was seen sporting a black eye, although he has downplayed the injury and claimed his 5-year-old son X was "horsing around" and gave it to him, as reported by Reuters.
Trump Picks a Side — And It's Not Elon's
Just days after Musk attempted to install Shapley, Trump reversed the appointment and backed Bessent's preferred candidate, Michael Faulkender.
Trump had long supported Musk publicly. But according to Bannon, speaking to the Daily Beast after witnessing the hallway spectacle, the president sided "100%" with Bessent.
That night, Musk took to social media, quote-posting Laura Loomer's attack on Bessent and adding, "Troubling," according to Newsweek.
The response didn't land. The decision had already been made.
The Fallout: Musk Exits, DOGE Wobbles
By the end of April, Musk's government days were over. His influence had peaked. His allies in the Cabinet were thinning. Tesla's stock had slumped. And his lavish political spending — including a reported billion-dollar bet on a failed Wisconsin court race — had yielded little.
Musk's stint as a "special government employee" was technically capped at 130 days. But aides said the West Wing was quietly relieved to see him go.
"He came with a playbook that comes from outside government, and there were mixed returns on that," said Appian CEO Matt Calkins to the Daily Beast. "He comes in with his idealism and his Silicon Valley playbook, and a few interesting things happened. Does the 'move fast and break things' model work in Washington? Not really."
Was Musk Doped Up?
Another layer to this already contentious story is the prospect of whether Musk was high on illicit substances during the alleged altercation.
A New York Times report alleges Musk was "intensely" abusing anesthetic ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms while contributing to the Trump 2024 campaign, according to Newsweek.
According to the report, Musk's use of ketamine "went well beyond occasional use," and was extensive enough to cause bladder issues. The New York Times cited unnamed sources and Musk has denied the allegations via X, but the report raises the question of whether Musk was using drugs while in the White House and whether it has impaired his decision-making abilities or provoked him to violence.
The specter of drugs inspiring a brawl between two of the most powerful men in government haunts what is already a story that seems stranger than fiction.
A Lesson in Ego, Power, and Political Reality
Musk's so-called downfall wasn't about one bad day — it was months in the making. Washington is a city built on backroom deals, quiet alliances, and slow-moving consensus. Musk brought Silicon Valley swagger and tried to bulldoze his way through it.
Bessent, calm and calculating, didn't need to win the internet. He just needed to win Trump's trust.
And in the end, it appears he did.
References: Elon Musk and Scott Bessent Had 'WWE' Incident in West Wing: Report |Scoop: Musk vs. Bessent Dispute Erupted Into West Wing Shouting Match | Bannon Spills on Secret Physical Brawl Behind Musk's Demise | Elon Musk Suffered Humiliating West Wing Tongue-Lashing: 'F*** You! F*** You!' | Elon Musk Responds to Drug Claims: 'Photographed Constantly' | X marks the spot: Bruised Musk says his young son punched him
