President Trump on Friday blew off questions over tensions between Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio following new reporting that the two clashed during a contentious Cabinet meeting this week.
The New York Times reported that Musk tore into Rubio and scolded him for not firing enough of his workforce, saying that he is only “good on TV.” Rubio, meanwhile, privately has been “furious” with Musk for some time, particularly after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) set its sights on shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
NBC News’s Gabe Gutierrez asked Trump in the Oval Office about the details that have come out on the Cabinet meeting, citing reporting that there are clashes between Musk and Rubio.
“No clash, I was there, you’re just a troublemaker,” the president said. “And you’re not supposed to be asking that question because we’re talking about the World Cup.”
“Elon gets along great with Marco and they’re both doing a fantastic job. There is no clash,” Trump added and asked Gutierrez what outlet he works for.
“NBC,” Gutierrez said.
“Oh, no wonder,” Trump said.
Gutierrez then asked, “Who has more authority, Elon Musk or the Cabinet secretaries?”
“Any other questions?” Trump said. “About the World Cup.”
The president announced in the Oval Office that he will establish a task force about the FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. He asked that questions from reporters be focused on the task force.
Trump was later asked again about the Cabinet meeting and his decision to tell officials that Musk will play more of an advisory role, which to Trump didn’t respond but spoke again about Musk and Rubio.
“They both get along fantastically well. Marco has done unbelievably as secretary of State. And Elon is a unique guy, he’s done a fantastic job,” he said.
“Enough,” Trump added.
The president told Cabinet officials in Thursday’s meeting that they take the lead on staffing choices, insisting that cuts be made with a “scalpel” instead of a “hatchet.” He still left the door open for DOGE to step in, telling his Cabinet that if they didn’t make cuts he deemed necessary, Musk would.
The new directive built on an executive order Trump signed last week, directing agency leaders to work with DOGE staff and look at contracts, employee travel and other areas, as well as build a centralized system to record every payment.
It also comes as DOGE’s work has increasingly received backlash, especially since Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins confirmed this week that his agency is planning to gut around 72,000 jobs — or 15 percent of the workforce
The White House on Friday called the Cabinet meeting the day prior productive and suggested the officials are all on the same page about working together.
“As President Trump said, this was a great and productive meeting amongst members of his team to discuss cost-cutting measures and staffing across the federal government. Everyone is working as one team to help President Trump deliver on his promise to make our government more efficient,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Hill.
