Trump abruptly interrupted a journalist after a question about Musk and Rubio’s relationship
American President Donald Trump interrupted an NBC journalist, his words are quoted by businessman and co-owner of conservative news portal Trending Politics Collin Rugg on social network X.
One of the reporters asked Trump if there was a clash between billionaire Elon Musk and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The American leader responded in the negative, accusing the journalist of wanting to sensationalise the matter.
Attempts to start an argument, Trump interrupted with a question about which publication the reporter represents, and only waved his hand at the answer about NBC.
‘No surprise then. That’s enough, NBC,’ the US president added.
Earlier, The New York Times, citing sources, reported that at a Cabinet meeting Rubio allegedly got into a fierce dispute with Musk over the latter’s proposals to reduce the staff of the state Department. According to the publication, the Secretary of State was furious that he had to ‘listen to a whole list of claims from the richest man in the world’ and emphasised that he had already dismissed more than 1.5 thousand employees in exchange for monetary compensation.
The NYT claims that the conflict between Rubio and Musk is not the first episode of tension within the new administration. Earlier, the head of DOGE also clashed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after Musk’s team proposed firing a number of air traffic controllers amid an investigation into a series of plane crashes. According to the newspaper, the growing number of complaints against Musk attracted the attention of the president, who made it clear that DOGE will continue its work, but its powers will be somewhat limited – the agency will only be able to make recommendations, while the right to make final decisions will remain with the ministers.