Betteridge’s law of headlines states that any headline ending in a question mark can be answered with the word “no.” But that’s not the case here. As far as reports—and word from the horse’s mouth are concerned—it would appear that, during this Pride Month, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, did lose at fisticuffs to Scott Bessent, an openly gay member of the Trump cabinet.And it happened in the West Wing—which is fitting, because Donald Trump is the first WWE Hall of Famer to have served as President of the United States.
Musk, once Trump’s most powerful private-sector ally, had entered the Oval Office to lobby for his pick to head the IRS. Bessent, a Yale-educated hedge fund veteran and one of the highest-ranking openly gay officials in the Republican Party, had other plans. What began as a policy disagreement spilled into the hallway. By the end of it, Musk had to be escorted out of the White House—visibly injured and politically diminished.
The IRS Faceoff That Sparked the Breakdown
The tension had been building for months. In mid-April, Musk and Bessent met with President Trump to argue over who should become acting IRS Commissioner. Musk supported Gary Shapley, a former IRS investigator known for his role in the Hunter Biden whistleblower case. Bessent pushed for Michael Faulkender, a MAGA-aligned economist with prior experience at the Treasury.Trump ultimately sided with Bessent.That single decision triggered a rapid unravelling. For Musk—who had spent months trying to position himself as the federal government’s chief efficiency czar—being overruled on IRS leadership was a stinging blow. But the real damage came after the meeting.
Blow by Blow
After leaving the Oval Office, Musk and Bessent exchanged words in the hallway. According to multiple accounts relayed by Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser, Bessent accused Musk of failing to deliver on his promise to uncover “more than $1 trillion” in government waste. “You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud,” Bessent reportedly said.Musk, furious, slammed his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage “like a rugby player.” Bessent hit back. The clash escalated until aides rushed in to separate the two, just outside the national security adviser’s office. Musk was then escorted out of the building. Trump, informed moments later, was overheard muttering, “This is too much.”Days later, Musk appeared at a press event with a black eye, which he claimed came from “play-fighting with his son.” White House officials, however, made no effort to deny the hallway brawl.
Elon Musk sported a black eye at the Oval Office press meet and blamed his son X for it.
A Partnership Implodes
The fight marked the symbolic collapse of one of the most unconventional political alliances in modern American history. Musk, who had moved into the Lincoln Bedroom and assumed a major role in shaping Trump’s government reform agenda, quickly fell from grace.His early moves—including a mass email demanding that all federal employees submit weekly “five accomplishments” reports—alienated agencies and judges alike. His DOGE initiative (Department of Government Efficiency), which aimed to cut federal bureaucracy with AI audits and massive layoffs, drew resistance from seasoned staffers and even MAGA loyalists.By April, Musk had become a lightning rod. Protesters outside federal buildings held signs reading, “No One Voted for Elon Musk.” Inside the White House, his influence waned. Bessent’s quiet but effective resistance, grounded in budget discipline and political capital, began to prevail.
Pride, Power, and the Politics of Ego
That all this happened just weeks before Pride Month lent the episode a layer of cultural symbolism.Bessent, long respected for his economic acumen, had already broken barriers as an openly gay Republican in the highest echelons of financial policymaking. But the confrontation with Musk—and the fact that he walked away with Trump’s confidence and no public reprimand—cemented his role as a formidable power player in the second Trump administration.While Musk’s methods relied on spectacle, Bessent operated through strategy—and, in this case, personal resolve.
The Fallout: Contracts, NASA, and the “America Party”
The West Wing brawl was just one rupture in a broader collapse. By May, Trump began actively distancing himself from Musk—questioning his drug use, threatening to review federal contracts with Tesla and SpaceX, and yanking Jared Isaacman’s NASA nomination, which Musk had championed.Musk, meanwhile, lashed out online. He attacked Trump’s landmark tax and spending bill and teased the launch of a third party, calling it The America Party. He also doubled down on claims that Trump had ties to Jeffrey Epstein—a charge he has not substantiated.Trump responded with silence at first, then blunt disappointment. “I’m very disappointed in Elon,” he told reporters. He reportedly told aides he was considering selling his Tesla Model S, which had been parked outside the White House since March.
Final Thought
What started as a collaboration between two disruptors—one from politics, the other from tech—ended in recriminations, hallway brawls, and the exposure of vastly different worldviews. Musk came to Washington to dismantle the system. He left having been outmanoeuvred, outpunched, and—quite literally—shown the door.Scott Bessent didn’t tweet. He didn’t gloat. He just walked away, still Treasury Secretary, with his pick running the IRS and his credibility enhanced.In Washington, strength isn’t measured in followers or stock price. It’s measured in who the President trusts when things get messy. And during Pride Month 2025, amid a mess of egos, algorithms, and ambition, it was the gay banker who kept his footing—while Elon Musk lost his.