The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump is pushing back on a report of a "massive blowup" between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and longtime Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn over Cabinet selections.
Axios reported early Monday that a simmering feud between Musk and Epshteyn exploded last week at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, over the adviser's influence over Trump's Cabinet picks.
According to the report, the blowup took place Wednesday over dinner in front of other guests. Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking Cabinet and personnel picks to the press, Axios reported. The heart of the tension is that Trump sided with Epshteyn with many of the appointments announced last week, including Matt Gaetz for attorney general, according to Axios, adding that Epshteyn took umbrage with Musk questioning the qualifications of his picks.
Not true, a transition team member told the New York Post.
"People familiar with both Elon and Boris unequivocally state that the whole story is complete and total nonsense, which Axios is known for, the two have been working together very well and are both focused on assisting President Trump in making America great again," a transition source told the Post.
NBC News reported last week that Musk, who will oversee a new "department of government efficiency" with Vivek Ramaswamy, was beginning to wear out his welcome with some in Trump's orbit, including members of the transition who reportedly are irked that Musk is overstepping his role.
Axios, too, reported that tensions with Musk, who has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago, have been brewing since Trump won the election.
Regardless, Musk is well-liked by Vice President-elect JD Vance as well as well as Trump sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, according to those same reports. He's also a hit with Kai Trump, the president-elect's 17-year-old granddaughter.
"Elon achieving uncle status," she posted to X last week.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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