Elon Musk’s Rising Influence Sparks Feud Within Trump’s Inner Circle

Elon Musk has emerged as a key player in President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team. However, growing tensions between Musk and Boris Epshteyn, one of Trump’s closest visers, are revealing fractures within president-elect’s inner circle.

friction centers around Cabinet appointments, with Musk and Epshteyn clashing over selection of figures like Matt Gaetz for attorney general and or high-level appointments. dispute underscores Musk’s rising influence within Trump’s orbit, which some long-time Trump loyalists view as overreach.

A Power Struggle in Transition Team

rivalry between Musk and Epshteyn came to public attention last week after reports of a heated confrontation at Mar-a-Lago. During a dinner meeting with several guests, Musk reportedly accused Epshteyn of leaking sensitive details about transition process, including personnel decisions, to media. According to sources familiar with incident, cited in an Axios report, Musk’s accusations sparked a “massive blowup,” with Epshteyn denying claims and responding that Musk “didn’t know what he was talking about.”

clash reflects deeper disagreements about direction of Trump’s ministration. While Epshteyn has been instrumental in shaping Trump’s Cabinet selections, including Gaetz for attorney general and William McGinley for White House counsel, Musk has begun vocating for his own picks. Among m is Howard Lutnick, Trump transition co-chair, for Treasury secretary—a move Musk argues would drive significant change.

On his social media platform X, Musk criticized Scott Bessent, a Wall Street veteran considered a favorite for Treasury role, as a “business-as-usual choice” and warned that such decisions would continue to “drive America bankrupt.”

Musk’s Expanding Role

Musk, who contributed at least $119 million to Trump’s election campaign, has quickly become a fixture at Mar-a-Lago. His presence has won favor of key figures in Trump’s circle, including Vice President-elect JD Vance and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. Even members of Trump’s family, such as sons Don Jr. and Eric, reportedly value Musk’s input.

Notably, Trump’s granddaughter, Kai, posted a photo with Musk and his son, referring to billionaire as having reached “uncle status.”

Musk’s influence has also extended to Trump’s foreign policy initiatives. president-elect recently included Musk on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a move that highlights Musk’s growing sway in ministration’s decision-making process.

Pushback From Some Trump Loyalists

Despite Musk’s popularity with some members of Trump’s team, his assertiveness has caused friction among long-time visers. Epshteyn, who played a pivotal role in coordinating Trump’s legal defenses during his criminal trials, has bristled at Musk’s challenges to his preferred Cabinet picks. Axios report indicates Epshteyn is frustrated by Musk’s questioning of his candidates’ qualifications and sees billionaire’s involvement as overstepping his boundaries.

ditionally, some members of Trump’s inner circle are reportedly wary of Musk’s constant presence at Mar-a-Lago. NBC recently reported that se figures view Musk as a disruptive force, undermining cohesion of transition process.

A Divided Inner Circle

Musk-Epshteyn rivalry highlights broer challenge facing Trump’s transition team: balancing competing interests of veteran visers and new influential allies. While Musk’s push for sweeping changes aligns with Trump’s calls for efficiency and reform, it also threatens to alienate those who have long been loyal to president-elect.

For now, Musk appears to be doubling down on his vision for ministration. He has teamed up with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to le a non-governmental “Department of Government Efficiency,” aiming to slash $2 trillion in federal spending.

As Trump’s team moves closer to forming a new ministration, power struggle between Musk and Epshteyn could shape not only Cabinet but also dynamics of Trump’s inner circle. Wher Musk’s influence will continue to grow or be curtailed remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: his role in Trump’s transition is anything but conventional.