Musk, top Trump adviser clash over Cabinet picks [View all]

Source: Axios

4 hours ago


Elon Musk has quickly become an influential figure in President-elect Trump's inner circle, but there are signs of tension between Musk and a longtime Trump adviser over Cabinet appointments to the new administration.

Why it matters: The friction between Musk and Boris Epshteyn — a top adviser who's pushed for Cabinet picks that include Matt Gaetz for attorney general — surfaced in public last week. It signaled a rivalry stemming from Musk's growing influence on the president-elect, to the dismay of some Trump loyalists.

Musk — who fueled Trump's election effort by giving at least $119 million — has questioned whether Epshteyn has had too much influence in Trump's selections, especially his top Justice Department picks and the White House counsel, three people familiar with the conversations told Axios.

At the same time, Musk has begun to push for his own Cabinet favorites.

Epshteyn has bristled at Musk's questioning the qualifications of Epshteyn's favored candidates, two of the sources said.

Zoom in: Their rocky relationship came to a head last Wednesday during a heated discussion at a dinner table in front of other guests at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, three people familiar with the episode told Axios.

At one point during what the sources described as a "massive blowup" and a "huge explosion," Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking details of Trump's transition — including personnel picks — to the media.

Epshteyn responded by telling Musk that he didn't know what he was talking about.

Zoom out: The rift between Musk and Epshteyn wasn't a surprise to Trump senior staffers and confidants who've seen tensions between them bubble up during the transition meetings at Mar-a-Lago that began shortly after the Nov. 5 election.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/11/18/trump-cabinet-musk-adviser-clash

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As a note, Epshteyn is under indictment in Arizona, with a 45 PAC paying for the legal representation. Unfortunately the AZ criminal trial date is not until 2026. He is also one of the un-indicted co-conspirators in the Georgia RICO case.