During a White House meeting, US President Donald Trump denied reports of a heated dispute between his senior advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to The New York Times, Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), clashed with Rubio and separately with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during a cabinet meeting chaired by Trump on Thursday.
The reported tensions stemmed from Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting drive, which has led to job reductions across government agencies.
Following the meeting, Trump stated that budget cuts would continue but with a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet,” suggesting a more measured approach.
However, when questioned by reporters about the alleged confrontation, he dismissed the claim outright.
“No clash. I was there,” Trump said, insisting that both Musk and Rubio were doing a fantastic job and “get along fantastically well.”
The Times report suggested Musk criticised Rubio’s handling of cost-cutting at the State Department, claiming he had failed to fire enough staff within the administration’s first 45 days.
Rubio reportedly countered that 1,500 employees had already taken early retirement and sarcastically asked if he should rehire them just to fire them again.
Meanwhile, Duffy allegedly accused DOGE of attempting to lay off vital air traffic controllers over ongoing aviation safety concerns.
Musk reportedly called the claim a lie, prompting Trump to intervene and suggest hiring replacements from the “geniuses” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Since taking office, Trump’s administration has overseen a sweeping government downsizing, with tens of thousands of federal employees dismissed or leaving their posts.
Reports of friction between Musk and senior officials have surfaced, with critics accusing his team—largely recruited from Silicon Valley—of overstepping their authority.
