Karoline Leavitt admitted that there was a ‘disagreement’ between Elon Musk Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after reports of a physical altercation but refused to call it a ‘fistfight”

WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES - JUNE 3: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the White House Press Briefing room in Washington DC., United States on June 3, 2025. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Leavitt attempted to downplay reports of a fight between Musk and Bessent(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Karoline Leavitt appeared flustered as she attempted to downplay reports of a physical altercation that allegedly took place between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the Tesla CEO’s time in the White House.

Trump’s former political adviser Steve Bannon said that Musk body checked Bessent “like a rugby player” during a heated exchange outside the Oval Office in mid-April after disagreeing about their preferences for acting IRS commissioner, The Washington Post reports.

Bannon claimed Musk rammed his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage before the Treasury Secretary hit him back. Multiple people allegedly had to step in to break up the altercation before Musk was taken out of the West Wing.

Fox News presenter Maria Bartiromo questioned Leavitt about the incident on Sunday. The White House press secretary awkwardly laughed as she failed to deny the report.

She responded: “Well look, when this story originally broke I said from the podium that there have definitely been healthy disagreements amongst the cabinet and Elon Musk. There were times in which they got frustrated with one another.”

However, Leavitt attempted to down play the disagreement. She added: “I think that really speaks to the heart of this cabinet and the president’s team – that they can have these robust disagreements and then still come together to do what’s right for the people that they are serving.

“And you saw when president Trump graciously sent Elon Musk back to his companies, Secretary Bessent was there in the Oval Office.”

Elon Musk, alongside Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (L) and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick (C), speaks during a news conference with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 30, 2025. Musk, who stormed into US politics as President Trump's chainsaw-brandishing sidekick, announced on May 28 that he is leaving his role in US government, intended to reduce federal spending, shortly after his first major break with the President over Trump's signature spending bill. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images)
Bannon claimed Musk rammed his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Leavitt then pivoted the topic to Musk’s public fallout with Trump after the tech billionaire began criticizing the president’s “big, beautiful” spending bill.

“We were all hoping for the best for Elon and I think it’s unfortunate that now that he’s gone back to his companies he’s lambasting this bill that he was very much supportive of, by all accounts I mean he never spoke out about it until he went back to his companies,” Leavitt said.

Maria, however, pressed Leavitt for more details about the altercation, asking if the men got into a fistfight. “I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a fistfight, Maria,” the press secretary replied. “It was definitely a disagreement,” she contended.

Leavitt continued to attempt to downplay the incident and change the topic. She added: “Although I was not there, I didn’t witness it with my own eyes. I heard about it through second-hand reporting but, again, we have moved on from that. The president has moved on from it.”