Elon Musk vs. Marco Rubio: White House Meeting Turns Heated Over Staff Cuts

A cabinet meeting at the White House turned tense on Thursday as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House advisor Elon Musk engaged in a heated exchange over staff reductions at the State Department.

According to The New York Times, President Donald Trump chaired the meeting and silently observed as tensions escalated. Musk, who is leading efforts to cut federal bureaucracy, criticized Rubio for failing to reduce staff significantly.

“You haven’t fired anyone,” Musk reportedly told Rubio. “Maybe the only person you let go was someone from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which operates under me.”

Rubio fired back, stating that over 1,500 State Department employees had voluntarily taken early retirement. Sarcastically, he asked Musk, “Do you want me to rehire them just so I can fire them again for your show?”

Musk dismissed Rubio’s defense with a snide remark: “You look good on TV.”

At this point, Trump intervened, siding with Rubio. “He’s doing an excellent job—balancing diplomatic trips, media engagements, and department oversight,” Trump remarked. He clarified that hiring and firing decisions rested with department heads, not Musk’s DOGE.

The meeting was called after Republican lawmakers expressed concerns over Musk’s aggressive stance on staff reductions. Following the discussion, Trump downplayed the conflict, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “There was no fight. I was there. You guys are just making up stories.”

Later, on his Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized a balanced approach to bureaucracy reduction. “We must right-size government departments while ensuring we retain top talent,” he posted. “We will use a scalpel, not an axe.”