The comments were directed at New York Times reporting on a purported heated Musk–Rubio dispute.
President Donald Trump on March 8 denied reports that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed during a recent Cabinet meeting, calling the claims “fake news” and insisting the two have a “great relationship.”
The New York Times had reported that Musk and Rubio engaged in a heated exchange during a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 26 over workforce reductions at the State Department. The dispute allegedly stemmed from Rubio’s reluctance to fire employees despite advice to do so from Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk oversees in his role as a special government employee.
According to the report, Rubio pushed back, pointing out that 1,500 State Department employees had already accepted early buyouts, which should count as workforce reductions. He then asked Musk whether he should rehire those employees just to fire them again, mocking DOGE’s missteps in rehiring workers it had initially let go, per the contested report.
The argument reportedly continued until Trump intervened, urging cooperation. The meeting had been convened following complaints from agency heads and White House officials about DOGE’s aggressive approach to downsizing.
On March 7, Trump dismissed the New York Times report when questioned by reporters in the Oval Office.
“No clash. I was there; you’re just a troublemaker,” he told a journalist who asked about the alleged dispute. “Elon gets along great with Marco, and they’re both doing a fantastic job.”
Trump also praised Rubio’s performance as secretary of state and described Musk as a “unique guy” doing a “fantastic job.”
Amid growing speculation about tensions between Musk and Rubio, Trump took to Truth Social on March 8 to further quash the rumors.
“Elon and Marco have a great relationship. Any statement other than that is fake news!!!” Trump wrote in all caps.
The controversy comes amid weeks of turmoil in Washington, where tens of thousands of federal employees have been abruptly dismissed as part of Trump’s sweeping effort to overhaul the federal workforce. Critics have called the mass terminations reckless, with some firings facing legal challenges.
By Tom Ozimek
