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Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched into a heated argument with Elon Musk during a Cabinet meeting, according to a new report.
Musk and Rubio went at it in a back-and-forth on Thursday in front of President Donald Trump and nearly two dozen others, The New York Times reported.
Rubio has been privately furious at Musk for weeks over his role in dismantling USAID, which the secretary believed should have been under his control, according to The Times.
The conflict began when Musk accused Rubio of not firing State Department workers despite mandates from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Rubio reportedly shot back, pointing out that 1,500 State Department employees had taken early buyouts, which should be tallied as a reduction in the workforce.
He then sarcastically asked Musk if he should rehire those employees just so they could be fired again, mocking DOGE’s stumbles in firing workers they had to rehire soon after because of bad decisions.
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Then, Musk accused Rubio of being just “good on TV,” The Times reported. The argument stretched on for an “uncomfortable” time before Trump finally intervened.
Trump — after silently watching the exchange — said Rubio is doing a “great” job and said he has “a lot” to deal with, according to The Times. He added that everyone needs to work together.
Appearing to recognize some of the growing anger with Musk, Trump reduced some of Musk’s power at the meeting. The president made it clear that while he supports Musk’s work, he also noted that only the Cabinet members would be in charge of any firings, and the billionaire’s team would only advise, The Times reported.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a “great and productive meeting.”
“Everyone is working as one team to help President Trump deliver on his promise to make our government more efficient,” she said in a statement.
Rubio similarly said it was an “open and productive discussion” with a “dynamic team,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told The Times. In a statement on X, Musk similarly labeled the meeting “very productive.”
The reported argument comes amid Musk’s continued efforts to shrink federal spending by slashing jobs and terminating contracts through DOGE.
The efforts have prompted multiple legal challenges, including a lawsuit from 20 attorneys general who accused the administration of terminating tens of thousands of probationary employees without following federal regulations, including a 60-day advance notice to affected employees and states.
DOGE staffers are also making headlines, with Politico reporting some have transformed at least four rooms on the 6th floor of the General Services Administration’s building to sleep in, equipping them with beds from IKEA, lamps and dressers. Some are making six-figure salaries working for DOGE.
