Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took a swipe at Elon Musk‘s fashion sense while trying to evade a question about a reported feud between them.
The duo allegedly went head-to-head during Musk’s brief time working in the White House as President Donald Trump‘s unofficial ‘first buddy’ and boss of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Speaking to Jesse Watters on Fox Monday, Bessent finally addressed months-old allegations that he and Musk had a physical altercation prior to the billionaire’s bitter separation from the administration and falling out with Trump.
‘You didn’t grab Elon by the collar, did you? You would never do such a thing,’ Watters asked.
Bessent immediately hit back with a dig at Musk, noting: ‘Elon wears t-shirts, so there is no collar.’
Often, his casual shirts would have slogans like ‘Occupy Mars’ or ‘Tech Support’ – the latter being a nod to his work with DOGE where he faced criticism for wielding too much power as an unelected official.
‘You have a big reputation,’ Watters noted to Bessent. ‘What did you to do Elon?’
Scott Bessent finally addressed months-old allegations that he and Musk had a physical altercation prior to the billionaire’s bitter separation from the administration and falling out with Trump
Bessent took a swipe at Musk’s wardrobe after he was asked if he ever grabbed the Tesla billionaire by the collar, noting: ‘Elon wears t-shirts, so there is no collar’
Musk became known for his laid back looks while in the Oval Office and beyond which included caps and t-shirts
Bessent offered a diplomatic non-answer.
‘Elon and I are both very passionate,’ he said. ‘I think that what he did with DOGE has set a very good trend in terms of cutting government expenses.’
Back in May, it emerged that Musk and Bessent reportedly had a screaming match in the West Wing over the impending appointment of the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
‘F*** you! F*** you! F*** you!’ Bessent allegedly shouted at Musk.
‘The fight had started outside the Oval Office; it continued past the Roosevelt Room and toward the chief of staff’s office, and then barreled around the corner to the national security adviser’s warren,’ The Atlantic reported at the time.
‘Musk accused Bessent of having run two failed hedge funds. ‘I can’t hear you,’ he told Bessent as they argued, their faces just inches apart. ‘Say it louder.”
Later that month, former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told Daily Mail that Musk’s turbulent time in the White House was marred when he physically ‘shoved’ the 62-year-old Bessent.
‘Scott Bessent called him out and said, ‘You promised us a trillion dollars (in cuts), and now you’re at like $100 billion, and nobody can find anything, what are you doing?” the prominent MAGA figure revealed.
The casual style stood in stark contrast to the buttoned-up outfits worn by Trump’s cabinet and allies
An alleged altercation occurred after Bessent questioned Musk’s DOGE cuts, which he said was a ‘sore subject’ with the Tesla CEO
Musk fell out with Trump after publicly criticizing his Big Beautiful Bill
‘And that’s when Elon got physical. It’s a sore subject with him. It wasn’t an argument, it was a physical confrontation. Elon basically shoved him.’
Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a statement there was no love lost between the pair.
‘It’s no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country,’ she said.
‘Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process, and ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.’
Musk’s time in the White House as a ‘special government employee’ was only ever meant to last five months.
But just as he was due to exit, he broke ranks by publicly trashing the administration’s ‘Big Beautiful’ domestic bill, sparking the public fallout with Trump.
Bessent took to his X platform to publicly thank the Tesla CEO on his way out, saying he did ‘very important work’.
But he is not the only one to publicly question Musk’s clothing choices while in his official capacity.
Back in March, the White House was questioned about Musk’s uniform and the double standards after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was slammed for not wearing a suit while meeting with Trump.
Daily Mail has reached out to Musk for comment.