Brawl reportedly broke out in a hallway after a tense meeting with President Trump

A dramatic altercation reportedly took place inside the White House between tech mogul Elon Musk and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent, according to former presidential advisor and podcaster Steve Bannon, who spoke to The Washington Post.

The fight allegedly occurred on April 17 in one of the corridors of the presidential residence, shortly after a meeting with President Donald Trump. According to Bannon, the meeting focused on the appointment of a new IRS Commissioner, with Trump throwing his support behind Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender — Besent’s pick for the position.

Once outside the Oval Office, tensions erupted. Musk and Besent began hurling insults at one another. Besent accused Musk of failing to deliver on his promise to help reduce government spending by $1 trillion.

Things quickly escalated. Musk reportedly shoulder-checked Besent “like a rugby player,” prompting the Treasury Secretary to hit back. The scuffle got so intense that White House staff had to intervene and break it up near the office of the National Security Advisor. Musk was ultimately escorted out of the West Wing.

When informed of the incident, Trump reportedly exclaimed, “This is too much.”

While Axios previously reported on the dispute, the new details — likened by one insider to a “pro wrestling match” — paint a more chaotic picture. The outlet noted that the feud between Musk and Besent had been simmering for months. Musk had lobbied Trump to appoint him Treasury Secretary during the cabinet formation, but the job ultimately went to Besent.

The incident followed another falling out between Musk and Trump just days earlier. Musk publicly criticized Trump’s proposed “big, beautiful” tax extension plan, calling it a “disgusting perversion.” He later claimed on X that Trump would have lost the election without his support.

Trump responded by suggesting the federal budget could be trimmed simply by cutting off Musk’s government contracts and subsidies.

In a final dramatic twist, Musk accused Trump of being involved in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, posting explosive claims on X linking Trump to human trafficking and elite sex abuse — only to delete the post hours later. Trump fired back, saying Musk had “completely lost his mind.”