The U.S. Government Efficiency Department led by Musk is laying off federal employees on a large scale, causing a lot of dissatisfaction. At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, Musk accused Secretary of State Rubio of layoffs, and the two were exposed to have a heated verbal conflict.
According to foreign media reports cited by Global Network, Musk and Rubio had a dispute over layoffs in front of Trump at a cabinet meeting held on March 6, local time. However, US President Trump denied this.
According to the New York Times, in the White House Cabinet meeting room, Musk attacked Rubio, saying that the other party had not fired "anyone" and adding contemptuously that perhaps the only staff Rubio fired were from the Department of Government Efficiency. The Secretary of State, who was sitting next to the president at the time, was very angry and said that what Musk said was untrue. Rubio said that more than 1,500 State Department officials accepted "buyouts and early departures." "Aren't they considered layoffs?" He asked Musk sarcastically if he wanted to rehire these people so that Musk could fire them again.
The dispute over layoffs extended into broader topics, with Musk saying Rubio "does well on TV," implying that he's not good at other things. Trump, who witnessed all this, came out to speak for Rubio, saying that he "did a good job" and had a lot to deal with.
According to Reuters, on the 7th local time, when Trump was asked about the "internal strife" that occurred on the 7th, he responded, "There was no dispute. I was there." He also said that Musk and Rubio "get along very well" and "they both do a great job." Meanwhile, Musk claimed on social platform X that the cabinet meeting was "very productive." A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department responded that Rubio believed that "the team is energetic and united."
Although all parties have tried to calm down the controversy caused by this cabinet meeting, tensions within Trump's team are receiving increasing attention. Trump said on social media on the 6th that the federal government's layoffs should be as precise as using a "scalpel" rather than a rough "axe" approach. These remarks were seen as both a public support for Musk and an attempt to limit his "indiscriminate" layoffs.