Elon Musk getting fired? DOGE chief responds to glaring Atlantic report

Elon Musk reportedly got into an intense shouting match with Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in the West Wing of the White House

Updated on: May 22, 2025, 04:00:07 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Elon Musk reportedly got into an intense shouting match with Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in the West Wing of the White House last month over the selection of the new IRS head. On Wednesday, a profile from The Atlantic detailed the rapid rise and fall of Musk's influence, which has led to several social media users believing that the tech billionaire might be soon ousted from his position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE.

Elon Musk reportedly got into a shouting match with a Trump official (Bloomberg)

The Atlantic noted that Bessent yelled at Musk with President Donald Trump listening to their conversation from a closeby room. “F--- you! F--- you! F--- you!” Bessent reportedly shouted at Musk. The Tesla CEO also lost his calm and accused the Treasury head of running two failed hedge funds.

“I can’t hear you,” Musk said. “Say it louder.”

The fiery shouting match was first reported by Axios in April. A witness told the media outlet that two ‘middle-aged men thought it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing’.

“The power struggle has become a symbol of Musk’s inability to build support for his approach,” the Atlantic noted. The shouting match reportedly stemmed from Bessent being furious that Elon Musk had ‘gone behind his back’ to push for Gary Shapley to be named acting commissioner of the IRS. Bessent wanted Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender for the job.

Musk responded to the report with an emoji.

The speculation about Musk's firing comes as the senior adviser is far behind his original goal to slash $2 trillion from federal spending through DOGE. According to the DOGE website, the figure stands at around $170 billion. The department has already caused chaos by letting go several federal workers and shutting down key funding chains.

Musk is currently a ‘special government employee’, a title that requires him to step down after 130 days. Rushab Sanghvi, general counsel for the American Federation of Government Employees, told Atlantic that he has been ‘kicked out of town’ already.

“If he had stayed in the shadows and done his stuff, who knows how bad it would have been? But no one likes the guy.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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