Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant Clash in Intensifying Social Media Feud Over Politics and Influence

In response to Treasury Secretary Scott Besant's recent remarks urging Elon Musk to focus on business rather than politics, a heated exchange unfolded on social media. Musk fired back at Besant, labeling him a puppet of George Soros and mocking his academic background, claiming that Besant, a political science major, couldn't even manage basic math. The tension between Musk and Besant has persisted over months, including a fiery confrontation at the White House earlier this year.

The origin of the recent spat can be traced to Besant's interview with CNN, where he suggested that Musk's venture into politics—specifically his creation of the new “American Party”—might be disconcerting for the Trump administration. Besant pointed out that Musk's initiatives might not be favorable in the eyes of his companies' board members, who encourage him to remain focused on his business endeavors.

The animosity between Musk and Besant isn’t new and was spotlighted during a previous confrontation at the White House that led to a verbal altercation involving a recommendation for the IRS leadership. Tensions flared as competing candidates were proposed, with Musk's choice losing out to Besant’s candidate, signaling a shift in influence and escalating the discord.

Musk’s decision to establish the "American Party" came in the wake of Trump signing a significant fiscal policy—the “Big and Beautiful Act”—which Musk vocalized strong opposition to. He criticized the act as exacerbating national debt issues and further pledged to support primary opponents against congressional members backing the legislation. Musk's new political venture aims to capture the sentiment of the "silent majority" he claims forms 80% of the American electorate.

Trump's dismissive reaction to Musk’s political ambitions was swift, expressing skepticism about the success of such third-party endeavors in the U.S. political landscape. Trump's cynicism highlights the systemic challenges a new party might face, given the "winner-takes-all" nature of American elections, which often sidelines third-party candidates, reducing their impact to mere disruptors rather than legitimate contenders.