Karoline Leavitt denied that there was any rift between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk. The White House press secretary claimed that stories about the two feuding are baseless and “pitiful” rumors advanced by the legacy media. She also asserted that members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet are “on board” with the president’s vision and agenda.
“Everybody is on board with President Trump’s mission and DOGE’s mission to identify this waste and fraud, to be good stewards of the American taxpayers’ money, and both Elon and Marco are doing an incredible job in their respective roles, and that’s true of everybody in President Trump’s Cabinet,” Leavitt told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.
Leavitt’s statement comes amid a report in the New York Times which claimed that Musk and Rubio butted heads during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday. The disagreement reportedly centered on Rubio’s management and lack of firings of USAID employees. Rubio supposedly rejected Musk’s accusation, mentioning that more than 1,500 employees had opted to take buyouts, which should count toward workforce reduction numbers, according to multiple reports.
Cabinet members reportedly watched the fiery exchange without interfering. Trump eventually intervened and told Rubio that he was doing a fine job, ABC News reported. Leavitt raved about the talents of the Cabinet and further dismissed any concerns over any claims of tension within the ranks.
“He has really put together an extraordinary team, and I think it’s pitiful that the mainstream media is working overtime to try to divide President Trump from Elon and from other members of his Cabinet, but their attempts are failing,” said Leavitt. “Everybody is working as one team towards one goal, and it’s to make America great again.”
DOGE NEEDS A SCALPEL, NOT AN AXE
Leavitt spoke positively about Thursday’s meeting, stressing that it was an “open dialogue and discussion” among Cabinet members. She also said the conversations were “highly productive” and a healthy exchange of ideas.
“The meeting was highly productive,” said Leavitt. “It was an open dialogue and discussion, which is exactly what the president’s team should be doing, engaging with one another to implement the president’s goals.”
