"WWE in the hall of the West Wing"

Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent got into a shouting match within earshot of President Trump and senior White House officials last week, Axios' Marc Caputo scoops.

• "It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing," one witness said of the argument last Thursday. (Bessent's net worth is actually $520 million.)

🤬 Details: The two were fighting about the IRS. The New York Times first reported Friday that Bessent and Musk had a disagreement over who should lead the IRS. But their chest-to-chest clash has not been reported previously.

• "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," the first witness said.
• Said a second: "It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud."

💡 Why it matters: The clash showed how much Musk's personality and style have rankled some senior administration officials.

• Musk has also had high-profile disputes with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and trade adviser Peter Navarro.
• "Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon's antics are just a bit much," a administration official said.

💬 What they're saying: "Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement. "And ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump."

• Representatives for Musk and Bessent declined to comment.

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