 "'Massive blowup' between Elon Musk and Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn over Cabinet appointments: Report")
Tensions flared between key allies of president-elect Donald Trump over crucial Cabinet appointments, resulting in a “massive blowup” and a heated confrontation between tech mogul Elon Musk and top Trump lawyer and adviser Boris Epshteyn.
According to an Axios report, the dispute centered around disagreements over their influence on appointments to Trump’s incoming cabinet, with Musk questioning some of Epshteyn’s choices.
The conflict came to a head during a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence last week, where sources say Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking information to the press.
In response, Epshteyn fired back, telling Musk he didn’t know what he was talking about, reported Axios.
Epshteyn played a key role in Trump’s most controversial cabinet pick to date, Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
While the exact points of contention between him and Musk remain unclear, Axios reported that their disagreement likely centers around Epshteyn’s backing of Bill McGinley for White House counsel, as well as the potential appointments of Todd Blanche and Emil Bove — both members of Trump’s criminal defence team — to prominent positions within the US Department of Justice.
At the same time, Musk is lobbying for Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, as Treasury secretary, over Wall Street veteran Scott Bessent.
Despite the friction, Musk maintains considerable support among Trump’s family and allies. Vice President-elect JD Vance, commentator Tucker Carlson, and Trump’s sons reportedly value Musk’s input.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTrump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, even posted that Musk had reached “uncle status” along with a photo of Kai, Musk and Musk’s son on a golf course.
However, Musk’s increasing involvement in the transition process and his frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago have started to irritate some longtime members of Trump’s inner circle, who feel he is overstepping his bounds, NBC reported this week.
The president-elect recently included Musk on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Musk also plans to collaborate with Republican businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to slash $2 trillion from federal spending, leading a non-governmental initiative called the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Epshteyn, who played a pivotal role in Trump’s legal defence during recent criminal cases, remains a key influence in shaping the administration.
With inputs from agencies
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