Donald Trump dismissed reports of a cabinet meeting dispute between Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling a reporter a "troublemaker" for asking about it.
Reports from The New York Times suggested that during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), criticized Rubio for not making deeper staffing cuts at USAID.
Rubio reportedly pushed back, arguing that the departure of over 1,500 State Department officials under Trump's buyout program should be considered sufficient layoffs. The supposed exchange raised speculation about tensions within the administration.
On Friday, following the signing of an executive order establishing the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, NBC News reporter Gabe Gutierrez questioned Trump about the alleged clash, Fox News reported.
Trump quickly shut down the inquiry, denying any conflict and asserting that Musk and Rubio "get along great." He dismissed the claim outright and criticized Gutierrez, noting his affiliation with NBC and cutting off further questions.
"No clash. I was there—you're just a troublemaker," Trump said. "And you're not supposed to be asking that question, because we're talking about the World Cup."
Trump's response follows a pattern of his recent interactions with the media, where he has called out journalists and networks he perceives as biased. Just a day earlier, he demanded MSNBC hosts Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow resign after they questioned his decision to make a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor an honorary member of the Secret Service.
He also recently criticized CNN's Kaitlan Collins, accusing the network of favoritism toward Joe Biden.
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