ELON Musk has clashed with a top Donald Trump aide over his cabinet choices at a fiery Mar-a-Lago blow-up.
The tech billionaire and a longtime advisor to the president-elect Boris Epshteyn reportedly disagreed on major picks to Trump’s top team.
APDonald Trump’s top team has faced some internal struggles as two key figures reportedly clashed at a dinner party[/caption]
GettyElon Musk has risen the ranks and joined Trump’s top team[/caption]
ReutersMusk reportedly argued with Trump aide Boris Epshteyn at Mar-a-Lago last Wednesday[/caption]
A discussion at Trump’s Florida mansion became heated in front of other guests last Wednesday, according to Axios.
Epshteyn pushed for key appointments including the MAGA star Matt Gaetz, who is set to become Attorney General.
These appointments and influence have reportedly created friction in parts of Trump’s circle.
Musk has become a growingly important figure for Trump as he spent over $119 million on his campaign through his super Pac.
The Tesla boss even spent election night with the Trump family and was made the co-chair of the new non-governmental “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Musk’s rise to Trump’s inner-circle has reportedly given way to mixed views among the president-elect’s loyalists.
Epshteyn, who coordinated Trump’s legal defence in his criminal cases, reportedly made his dislike of Musk clear when the two had a “massive blowup” and a “huge explosion” last Wednesday, according to Axios.
The Tesla boss accused the advisor of leaking information about Trump’s transition post his election win to the press.
This supposed information included cabinet picks.
Epshteyn then said he did not know what Musk was referring to.
This bust-up reportedly did not come as a surprise to other members of Trump’s team as the pair have butt heads other times since November 5.
Despite this, Epshteyn also influenced other cabinet picks.
Two of Trump’s criminal lawyers, Emil Bove and Todd Blanche, landed top Justice Department posts.
Opinions around Musk’s growing influence have been mixed in Trump’s inner circle, as some key figures reportedly like the billionaire.
Donald Trump’s Cabinet Picks
In the days following his dominant Election Day victory, President-elect Donald Trump has begun carving out his future administation.
Here’s a list of Trump’s confirmed cabinet picks:
Susie Wiles – White House Chief of Staff
Stephen Miller – Deputy Chief of Staff
Bill McGinley – White House counsel
Tom Homan, ex-ICE acting director – “Border Czar”
Elise Stefanik, Republican New York representative – Ambassador to the United Nations
Lee Zeldin, former New York representative – Environmental Protection Agency administrator
Marco Rubio, Republican Florida senator – Secretary of State
Kristi Noem, Republican South Dakota governor – Homeland Security Secretary
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor – Ambassador to Israel
John Ratcliffe, former Texas representative – CIA director
Pete Hegseth, US Army veteran – Secretary of Defense
Mike Waltz, Republican Florida representative – National Security Advisor
Steven Witkoff, real estate investor – Middle East envoy
Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy – Department of Government Efficiency
Tim Scott, Republican South Carolina senator – Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Tulsi Gabbard, former Hawaii representative – Director of National Intelligence
Matt Gaetz, Republican Florida representative – Attorney General
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
Jay Clayton , US Attorney for the Southern District of New York
Doug Burgum, Republican North Dakota governor – Department of Interior
Todd Blanche, lawyer – Deputy Attorney General
Karoline Leavitt – White House Press Secretary
Chris Wright, oil industry executive – Energy Secretary
Doug Collins, served in Iraq 2008, former congressman of Georgia’s 9th district from 2013-2021 – Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs
William McGinley, partner at law firm Holtzman Vogel, former White House Cabinet secretary for Trump – White House Counsel
Steven Cheung, rapid response director for Trump 2016 campaign – White House Communications Director
William Owen Scharf , federal prosecutor – Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary
Dean John Sauer, appellate attorney and former Solicitor General of Missouri, lead counsel in Supreme Court for Trump v United States – Solicitor General of the US
Commissioner Brendan Carr, Former senior Republican on FCC and ex-FFC General Counsel – Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Vice President-elect JD Vance and Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric are some of the key names who favor the Tesla boss.
MUSK’S WORLD
The billionaire famously pulled a huge 180 when he switched from a Trump hater to a super-fan.
The president-elect called Musk a “bulls**t artist” at a rally in 2022.
The Tesla boss responded on X and encouraged Trump to leave politics.
“I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset,” Musk wrote.
This has wildly changed as the tech entrepreneur became a key figure in Trump’s election win, after he pumped millions into his campaign.
This support has opened up a door to Trump’s inner-circle and Elon Musk has reportedly been happy to step in.
Two people close to the president-elect have said the tech mogul has not been humble about his new role in politics, The Sun has previously reported.
The pair said: “He’s behaving as if he’s a co-President and making sure everyone knows it.”
“And he’s sure taking lots of credit for the president’s victory. Bragging about America PAC and X to anyone who will listen.
“He’s trying to make President Trump feel indebted to him. And the president is indebted to no one.”
GettyTrump has confirmed several of his cabinet picks[/caption]
APMusk was made the co-chair of the new non-governmental ‘Department of Government Efficiency’[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
