After reports of Elon Musk-Marco Rubio clash, Trump denies it
The Hindu
President Trump denies clashes between advisor Elon Musk and Secretary of State Rubio, hinting at reining in Musk's cost-cutting efforts.
U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Friday (March 7, 2025) a report that his senior advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, had clashed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House meeting.
According to The New York Times, Mr. Musk argued with Mr. Rubio and separately with transportation secretary Sean Duffy during Thursday’s cabinet meeting chaired by Mr. Trump.
Mr. Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in a drive to slash costs and cut jobs across government departments, reportedly leading to tensions with department heads.
After the meeting, Mr. Trump announced that cuts would continue but with a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet”, implying that he had taken the opportunity to rein Mr. Musk in.
But, asked by reporters on Friday about the reported dispute, the president dismissed it, declaring: “No clash. I was there.”
He went on to insist of Mr. Musk and Mr. Rubio “they’re both doing a fantastic job ... they both get along fantastically well.”
According to the Times report Mr. Musk scorned Mr. Rubio’s cost-cutting record at the State Department, accusing him of having fired “nobody” in the administration’s first 45 days.
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