Elon Musk was bruised in a fight with US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, former chief political strategist of US President Donald Trump, Stephen Bannon, told the Daily Mail.
According to Bannon, the fight took place on the eve of the press conference between Trump and Musk on the occasion of the billionaire's dismissal as head of the Department of Government Economic Development (DOGE).
Treasury Secretary Besant accused Musk of not fulfilling his promises to reduce the budget by $ 1 trillion, after which Musk pushed him. The incident reportedly occurred on the way from the Oval Office to the office of White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles. The newspaper also notes that the fight was confirmed by White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt.
As Musk himself previously explained, the bruise under his right eye was inflicted by his five-year-old son after he jokingly challenged him to hit him in the face. “At that moment, I barely felt anything, and then the bruise appeared,“ the businessman commented on the situation.
The Trump administration is increasing pressure on entrepreneur Elon Musk after their public conflict. This was reported by Rolling Stone magazine, citing sources in the White House.
According to the publication, Trump's entourage is urging the president's allies, including major donors and influential representatives of the Republican Party, to decide whose side they are on. The campaign is coordinated by the White House and is allegedly accompanied by harsh language.
“We are identifying Elon's friends“, said one of the senior administration officials. According to the source, if Musk wants them back. "He will have to show much greater loyalty to Donald Trump than ever", he added.
At the same time, it is noted that even in this case, Musk's return to the president's inner circle is not guaranteed.
Sources close to Trump call what is happening "a divorce in the MAGA camp" (Make America Great Again) and emphasize that now Musk, if he expects to restore his previous positions, will have to be the first to take a step towards reconciliation.