Elon’s ‘massive blow-up’ with key Trump ally

Growing tensions in the Trump transition reportedly led to a “massive blow-up” between Elon Musk and a key aide to the President-elect.

As Donald Trump’s transition continues to fill out key administration roles, there are reports of rising tensions between Elon Musk and the president-elect.

The billionaire entrepreneur emerged as the most important figure in Mr Trump’s election win, contributing $US119 million ($184 million) towards the campaign, and has played a central role in the transition in the weeks since.

US media have previously suggested Mr Musk may be wearing out his welcome at Mar-a-Lago amid ongoing palace intrigue between competing Trump world factions jockeying for positions in the upcoming administration.

Some members of the Trump transition team came to view the SpaceX CEO as the “guest who wouldn’t leave” after the party, The Daily Beast reported earlier this month, and Mr Trump himself quipped to a room full of Republicans in Washington DC that “I can’t get rid of him”.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Picture: Brandon Bell/Getty Images/AFP

MORE:Elon Musk’s bizarre move with ex-partner Grimes exposed

Mr Musk has reportedly butted heads with one key Trump ally in particular — lawyer Boris Epshteyn, a long-time adviser to the president-elect since 2016 who played a key role in his criminal defence strategies after the 2020 election.

The pair were involved in a “massive blow-up” in front of Mar-a-Lago guests earlier this month, Axios reported, after a “heated discussion” at a dinner table led Mr Musk to accuse Mr Epshteyn of leaking Mr Trump’s cabinet picks to the media.

Mr Epshteyn was said to have responded by telling Mr Musk he “didn’t know what he was talking about”. Sources told Axios people had seen “tensions between them bubble up during the transition meetings”, with Mr Epshteyn said to have “bristled” at Mr Musk’s questioning of the qualifications of his preferred candidates.

Mr Epshteyn was widely reported to have been the one who convinced Mr Trump to nominate controversial Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz for Attorney-General, before Mr Gaetz abruptly withdrew a week later in the shadow of an ethics report into alleged sexual misconduct.

Senior Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn, right. Picture: Chip Somodevilla/Getty/AFP

MORE:Ivanka reveals ‘hurtful toll’ behind Trump snub

On Monday, CNN reported that lawyers for Mr Trump had conducted an internal investigation into allegations Mr Epshteyn had requested payment in exchange for promoting candidates for administration positions or connect individuals with people in the upcoming administration relevant to their industries.

In one instance he requested as much as $US100,000 per month, according to CNN, which reported those looking into the matter had initially recommended Mr Epshteyn be removed from Mr Trump’s orbit.

Part of the investigation focused on claims that Mr Epshteyn proposed that Scott Bessent, Mr Trump’s eventual Treasury Secretary pick, pay him to promote his name. The pair were reportedly involved in a heated confrontation at Mar-a-Lago.

The fiery lawyer appears to have emerged unscathed, however.

“I am honoured to work for President Trump and with his team,” Mr Epshteyn said in a statement to CNN. “These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again.”

Musk has repeatedly butted heads with Epshteyn. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

Transition spokesman Steven Cheung said, “As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaign’s consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others. We are now moving ahead together as a team to help President Trump Make America Great Again.”

Questions remain over how much influence Mr Musk or Mr Epshteyn will continue to wield over Mr Trump’s picks.

“Trump, of course, has little patience for allies who upstage him,” veteran political journalist Tara Palmieri wrote in Puck News on Monday. “And there are already whispers about when, not if, ‘Uncle Elon’ — now a fixture on the Mar-a-Lago patio — will overstay his welcome.”

Mr Musk had notably campaigned for Howard Lutnick as Treasury Secretary, writing on X that the Wall Street executive would “actually enact change” while Mr Bessent, a former George Soros hedge fund manager, represented “business-as-usual”.

Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP

Mr Lutnick, as transition co-chair, reportedly annoyed Mr Trump by using his position to openly lobby for the Treasury Secretary role and at one point was even involved in a physical altercation with Mr Epshteyn, according to The Washington Post.

He was later selected for Commerce Secretary, responsible for enacting Mr Trump’s sweeping trade and tariff agenda.

The big winner so far in the internal power play has been incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who has secured key roles for a number of her Florida allies including Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Pam Bondi as Attorney-General and Mike Waltz as National Security Adviser.

Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said he believed Mr Trump and Mr Musk would try to remain on good terms as both had “so much to lose” if they have a “falling out”. “I would be curious to see how he integrates himself into the Trump organisation or whether or not he sort of remains a free agent on his own,” Mr Mulvaney told Sky News Australia. “My guess is it will be the latter. I don’t see them falling out badly because both gentlemen would lose a great deal and are both smart enough to not get into that type of situation.”