WWE in West Wing: How Elon got beaten up by a gay banker

Betteridge’s instrumentality of headlines states that immoderate header ending successful a question people tin beryllium answered with the connection “no.” But that’s not the lawsuit here. As acold arsenic reports—and connection from the horse’s rima are concerned—it would look that, during this Pride Month, Elon Musk, the richest antheral successful the world, did suffer astatine fisticuffs to Scott Bessent, an openly cheery subordinate of the Trump cabinet.And it happened successful the West Wing—which is fitting, due to the fact that Donald Trump is the archetypal WWE Hall of Famer to person served arsenic President of the United States.

Musk, erstwhile Trump’s astir almighty private-sector ally, had entered the Oval Office to lobby for his prime to caput the IRS. Bessent, a Yale-educated hedge money seasoned and 1 of the highest-ranking openly cheery officials successful the Republican Party, had different plans. What began arsenic a argumentation disagreement spilled into the hallway.

By the extremity of it, Musk had to beryllium escorted retired of the White House—visibly injured and politically diminished.

The IRS Faceoff That Sparked the Breakdown

The hostility had been gathering for months. In mid-April, Musk and Bessent met with President Trump to reason implicit who should go acting IRS Commissioner. Musk supported Gary Shapley, a erstwhile IRS researcher known for his relation successful the Hunter Biden whistleblower case. Bessent pushed for Michael Faulkender, a MAGA-aligned economist with anterior acquisition astatine the Treasury.

Trump yet sided with Bessent.That azygous determination triggered a accelerated unravelling. For Musk—who had spent months trying to presumption himself arsenic the national government’s main ratio czar—being overruled connected IRS enactment was a stinging blow. But the existent harm came aft the meeting.

Blow by Blow

After leaving the Oval Office, Musk and Bessent exchanged words successful the hallway. According to aggregate accounts relayed by Stephen K.

Bannon, the erstwhile Trump adviser, Bessent accused Musk of failing to present connected his committedness to uncover “more than $1 trillion” successful authorities waste. “You’re a fraud. You’re a full fraud,” Bessent reportedly said.Musk, furious, slammed his enarthrosis into Bessent’s rib cage “like a rugby player.” Bessent deed back. The clash escalated until aides rushed successful to abstracted the two, conscionable extracurricular the nationalist information adviser’s office.

Musk was past escorted retired of the building. Trump, informed moments later, was overheard muttering, “This is excessively much.”Days later, Musk appeared astatine a property lawsuit with a achromatic eye, which helium claimed came from “play-fighting with his son.” White House officials, however, made nary effort to contradict the hallway brawl.

A Partnership Implodes

The combat marked the symbolic illness of 1 of the astir unconventional governmental alliances successful modern American history.

Musk, who had moved into the Lincoln Bedroom and assumed a large relation successful shaping Trump’s authorities betterment agenda, rapidly fell from grace.His aboriginal moves—including a wide email demanding that each national employees taxable play “five accomplishments” reports—alienated agencies and judges alike. His DOGE inaugural (Department of Government Efficiency), which aimed to chopped national bureaucracy with AI audits and monolithic layoffs, drew absorption from seasoned staffers and adjacent MAGA loyalists.By April, Musk had go a lightning rod. Protesters extracurricular national buildings held signs reading, “No One Voted for Elon Musk.” Inside the White House, his power waned. Bessent’s quiescent but effectual resistance, grounded successful fund subject and governmental capital, began to prevail.

Pride, Power, and the Politics of Ego

That each this happened conscionable weeks earlier Pride Month lent the occurrence a furniture of taste symbolism.Bessent, agelong respected for his economical acumen, had already breached barriers arsenic an openly cheery Republican successful the highest echelons of fiscal policymaking.

But the confrontation with Musk—and the information that helium walked distant with Trump’s assurance and nary nationalist reprimand—cemented his relation arsenic a formidable powerfulness subordinate successful the 2nd Trump administration.While Musk’s methods relied connected spectacle, Bessent operated done strategy—and, successful this case, idiosyncratic resolve.

The Fallout: Contracts, NASA, and the “America Party”

The West Wing brawl was conscionable 1 rupture successful a broader collapse. By May, Trump began actively distancing himself from Musk—questioning his cause use, threatening to reappraisal national contracts with Tesla and SpaceX, and yanking Jared Isaacman’s NASA nomination, which Musk had championed.Musk, meanwhile, lashed retired online. He attacked Trump’s landmark taxation and spending measure and teased the motorboat of a 3rd party, calling it The America Party. He besides doubled down connected claims that Trump had ties to Jeffrey Epstein—a complaint helium has not substantiated.Trump responded with soundlessness astatine first, past blunt disappointment. “I’m precise disappointed successful Elon,” helium told reporters. He reportedly told aides helium was considering selling his Tesla Model S, which had been parked extracurricular the White House since March.

Final Thought

What started arsenic a collaboration betwixt 2 disruptors—one from politics, the different from tech—ended successful recriminations, hallway brawls, and the vulnerability of vastly antithetic worldviews. Musk came to Washington to dismantle the system. He near having been outmanoeuvred, outpunched, and—quite literally—shown the door.Scott Bessent didn’t tweet. He didn’t gloat. He conscionable walked away, inactive Treasury Secretary, with his prime moving the IRS and his credibility enhanced.In Washington, spot isn’t measured successful followers oregon banal price. It’s measured successful who the President trusts erstwhile things get messy. And during Pride Month 2025, amid a messiness of egos, algorithms, and ambition, it was the cheery banker who kept his footing—while Elon Musk mislaid his.