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According to the NYT, the two allies of US President Donald Trump argued over accusations that the secretary of state isn’t reducing staff sufficiently.
A heated argument reportedly occurred between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), during a White House cabinet meeting, as reported by the New York Times on Friday. The conflict allegedly began when Musk accused Rubio of insufficient staff cuts in his department, while Rubio was reportedly angered by Musk’s opposition to the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The New York Times’ sources described the Thursday cabinet meeting as “extraordinary.” It took place behind closed doors with President Donald Trump and about 20 senior officials present. Musk, seated across from Rubio, allegedly accused him of inaction on staff reductions, stating, “You have fired nobody.” He also implied that the only dismissal Rubio made might have been a DOGE staff member.
Rubio is said to have responded strongly, pointing out that over 1,500 State Department employees had already accepted early retirement buyouts. According to the report, he questioned whether Musk expected him to rehire and then fire those employees simply to create the appearance of deeper cuts, before outlining his plans to restructure the department.
The NYT further reported that Rubio’s frustration had been building for weeks due to Musk’s efforts that effectively shut down USAID, Washington’s main vehicle for funding political projects abroad, after it was placed under Musk’s control. Musk has accused the agency of being inefficient and plagued by corruption.
Reportedly, Musk remained unconvinced, dismissing Rubio as merely “good on TV.” The New York Times claims that as the argument continued, Trump intervened, praising the secretary of state’s “great job” and encouraging collaboration.
The clash, according to the New York Times, could signal that Trump is attempting to limit Musk’s authority. The paper added that while many senior officials support efforts to cut government waste, they are frustrated by the billionaire’s “chain saw approach.”
The report also indicates that, immediately prior to the disagreement with Rubio, Musk clashed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy regarding the funding and staffing of air traffic control systems, requiring Trump’s intervention to ease tensions.
Trump has refuted the idea of any discord, telling reporters that there is “no clash” between Musk and Rubio and labeling the NBC journalist who asked about it a “troublemaker.”
“Elon gets along great with Marco and they’re both doing a fantastic job,” Trump stated.