Elon Musk.Photo: from open sources.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump have entered into a fierce conflict that has already become widely discussed in US political circles. Musk, known for his desire to influence global processes, is now actively interfering in personnel issues in Trump’s team, which has caused irritation among the former president’s supporters. The struggle for the appointment of the US Treasury Secretary has become particularly tense, turning into a “dirty fight”, TimeUkraineIsrael portal reports, citing Cursorinfo.
Conflict over the post of finance minister
The issue of choosing a Treasury Secretary has become a major point of contention between Musk and Trump. Trump reportedly favoured the candidacy of Scott Bessent, the head of Key Square Group. However, Howard Lutnick, the head of the financial company Cantor Fitzgerald and one of the leaders of Trump’s transition team, tried to get Musk’s support to increase his chances of getting the position.
Musk did not hesitate to launch a public campaign on social media, especially on the X platform (formerly Twitter), supporting Liutnik. He described him as a “man of change”, while Bessent called him a representative of the “old order”. Musk’s support boosted Liutnyk’s popularity, while Bessent was questioned for his ties to Soros Foundation finances.
This public campaign and Musk’s active interference in personnel matters irritated Trump and his entourage. Trump, known for his independence in decision-making, could not ignore Musk’s excessive interference in the process. This led to a review of candidates, including Mark Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management, and Kevin Warsh, former economic adviser to President George W. Bush.
Conflict with Boris Epstein: the struggle for influence
The confrontation between Musk and Trump is not limited to personnel issues. Musk seems to be taking every opportunity to influence Trump’s key advisers, including Boris Epstein, who is one of the most influential people in Trump’s team.
The conflict between Musk and Epstein reached its peak at a lunch in Mar-a-Lago, when Musk accused Epstein of leaking confidential information to the media. Epstein strongly denied the allegations, claiming that he had nothing to do with what happened. However, this dispute highlights not only the tense relationship between the two, but also the overall struggle for influence over the Trump team’s personnel decisions and strategy.
Uncertainty and Trump’s strategy
At the same time, Trump has questions about whom to trust in personnel matters, including key appointments. His team has begun to consider alternatives for the position of Treasury Secretary and other important positions, which will help maintain a balance between different influential figures, but at the same time maintain control of the situation.
According to sources, such conflicts and struggles for influence could further complicate the situation within Trump’s team, which has already become a test for his strategic leadership in the future.
These developments open a new chapter in US political life, where relations between those with significant influence on the political process can change the course of events at the national level.
