Musk Clashes with US Treasury Secretary at White House Meeting
26 April 2025 路 Uncategorized 路
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Following a series of public disagreements with government officials and advisors, Elon Musk, who holds a largely honorary position as head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, was reportedly involved in a heated argument with Treasury Secretary Scott Bezenet inside the White House. On April 23rd, local time, multiple sources disclosed that last Thursday, Musk and Bezenet engaged in a verbal altercation concerning the appointment of an acting commissioner for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Initially, Bezenet accused Musk of exaggerating the impact of budget cuts to the department Musk nominally leads. In response, Musk referred to Bezenet as a "Soros agent" and criticized his management abilities. The argument escalated into a shouting match, punctuated by profanity, during a visit from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, requiring an assistant to intervene.
Since President Trump assumed office, Musk and Bezenet have clashed over various appointments, including the Treasury Secretary position itself, which ultimately went to Bezenet after Musk aggressively lobbied for Howard Lutnick. Following the recent argument, Trump appointed Michael Dorsey鈥攁 recommendation from Bezenet鈥攁s the new acting commissioner of the IRS, replacing Gary Shapley, whom Musk had previously endorsed. The conflict stems, in part, from a prior resignation of an interim IRS commissioner who raised concerns regarding data sharing between the IRS and Homeland Security concerning tax information for individuals residing in the country illegally.
White House Spokeswoman Caroline Levitt stated that disagreements among cabinet members are anticipated and considered productive debate under President Trump鈥檚 final decision-making authority. Meanwhile, Musk has announced plans to reduce his involvement in government affairs to prioritize Tesla鈥檚 business operations, following a significant decline in profitability during the first quarter and protests against Tesla products related to Musk鈥檚 political activities.
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The text has been restructured for clarity and flow, and language has been refined to maintain a professional tone.
Following a series of public disagreements with government officials and advisors, Elon Musk, who holds a largely honorary position as head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, was reportedly involved in a heated argument with Treasury Secretary Scott Bezenet inside the White House. On April 23rd, local time, multiple sources disclosed that last Thursday, Musk and Bezenet engaged in a verbal altercation concerning the appointment of an acting commissioner for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Initially, Bezenet accused Musk of exaggerating the impact of budget cuts to the department Musk nominally leads. In response, Musk referred to Bezenet as a "Soros agent" and criticized his management abilities. The argument escalated into a shouting match, punctuated by profanity, during a visit from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, requiring an assistant to intervene.
Since President Trump assumed office, Musk and Bezenet have clashed over various appointments, including the Treasury Secretary position itself, which ultimately went to Bezenet after Musk aggressively lobbied for Howard Lutnick. Following the recent argument, Trump appointed Michael Dorsey鈥攁 recommendation from Bezenet鈥攁s the new acting commissioner of the IRS, replacing Gary Shapley, whom Musk had previously endorsed. The conflict stems, in part, from a prior resignation of an interim IRS commissioner who raised concerns regarding data sharing between the IRS and Homeland Security concerning tax information for individuals residing in the country illegally.
White House Spokeswoman Caroline Levitt stated that disagreements among cabinet members are anticipated and considered productive debate under President Trump鈥檚 final decision-making authority. Meanwhile, Musk has announced plans to reduce his involvement in government affairs to prioritize Tesla鈥檚 business operations, following a significant decline in profitability during the first quarter and protests against Tesla products related to Musk鈥檚 political activities.
<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>
The text has been restructured for clarity and flow, and language has been refined to maintain a professional tone.