Washington: The Cabinet Room at the White house in the United States was tense on Thursday. US President Donald Trump silently watched a volley of attacks exchanged between billionaire advisor Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They clashed over the scope of staff reductions at the State Department, reported the New York Times.
Musk, who has been spearheading attempts to cut down federal bureaucracy at Trump’s direction, berated Rubio. Musk accused Rubio of not firing enough staff to make significant workforce reductions.
“You’ve fired nobody,” Musk reportedly charged. He claimed that the only person Rubio may have dismissed was a staffer from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is a unit under Musk.
Rubio pushed back. The US Secretary highlighted that more than 1,500 State Department employees had accepted early retirement buyouts. Being sarcastic, he asked Musk: “Do you want me to rehire those people just so you can fire them again for the show?”
“You’re good on TV,” Musk quipped, indicating that Senator’s efficiency was restricted to media appearances.
And Trump says…..
Trump eventually intervened. He defended Rubio’s performance. The US President stated that the Secretary of State was “doing a great job”, juggling extensive travel and television appearances and also managing his department.
Trump also clarified that final decisions on hiring and firing would rest with department heads, not with Musk’s DOGE. “DOGE is only playing an advisory role,” Trump added.
Why was the meeting called?
The meeting was convened following complaints from several agency heads about Musk’s aggressive approach to workforce reductions, reported the Reuters. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and the Office of Legislative Affairs had also been inundated with concerns from Republican lawmakers facing backlash from constituents over the restructuring efforts, according to the report.
‘There was no clash…..’
However, Trump dismissed reports of a dispute between Musk and Rubio, while addressing media. “There was no clash. I was there. You’re just a troublemaker,” Trump told a journalist. “Marco has done unbelievably as Secretary of State, and Elon is a unique guy who’s done a fantastic job,” Trump said, as quoted by New York Times.
BREAKING: In a stunning moment in the Oval Office, Trump completely loses it saying “you’re not supposed to ask that” when a reporter asks him about an angry conflict between Marco Rubio and Elon Musk. Americans deserve to know what really happened.pic.twitter.com/j3DWR8IwA9
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) March 7, 2025
