Elon Musk reportedly gets into a blowout with Trump adviser at Mar-a-Lago dinner

Blow-up dolls

It’s only been a few weeks since Elon Musk’s money helped bring Donald Trump back to the White House — and already the billionaire seems to be causing trouble.

According to insiders who spoke to AxiosMusk and Donald Trump defendant attorney Boris Epshteyn got into what the outlet’s sources described as a “massive explosion” and a “huge explosion” at Mar-a-Lago last week over the president-elect’s cabinet picks.

Those sources said the altercation occurred in front of other guests at Trump’s Florida mansion when Musk accused Epshteyn of deliberately leaking elections to the press. The lawyer denied he had any idea what the billionaire was talking about — but onlookers, including those in Trump’s inner circle, were well aware of what the fight was really sore.

Sway My Way

These explosive tensions had been bubbling for weeks, Axios‘, anonymous sources explained, as the pair battle for influence with Trump. Long-time adviser to the real estate magnate who has represented him in court and worked with him briefly during his first term as presidentEpshteyn’s influence with Trump makes sense.

Musk doesn’t seem too happy about the sway, though. He has begun airing his thoughts publicly as he pushes to have Interim Chairman Howard Lutnick appointed to lead the Treasury Department in place of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, who Trump called once “brilliant” and “nice”.

“My view (for what it’s worth) is that Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas (Lutnik) will actually effect change,” Musk tweeted days after the alleged blowout. “Business-as-usual is bankrupting America, so we have to change one way or another.”

Power Player

An outsider in Trump’s world of well-heeled movers and shakers, Musk’s jockeying for power has some in the president-elect’s inner circle complaining about the South African-born business owner’s antics.

In one interview with The hillA GOP lobbyist tied to Trump said Musk has gotten “a little big for his britches,” and another ally told NBC News that the billionaire “acts like he’s a co-president.”

A source with Trump’s transition team insisted in a statement to New York Post that the story of Musk and Epshtyen’s fight is “complete and utter nonsense, which Axios is known for.”

One thing is certain, however: there is bad blood brewing in the transition team.

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