Is Elon Musk and Marco Rubio’s relationship beyond repair? Inside the bitter cabinet battle in front of Donald Trump that rocked Washington

Rubio, a seasoned politician and former U.S. Senator from Florida, has served as Secretary of State since the start of Trump’s second term. Known for his focus on foreign policy and conservative reforms, Rubio has been a vocal advocate for reducing government spending and streamlining federal agencies.

The pair also joined forces on social media to push back against criticism of US support for Ukraine. Musk claimed his Starlink satellite internet system was critical to Ukraine’s military operations, suggesting the front lines would collapse without it.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized Musk’s remarks as a veiled threat, noting Poland pays millions annually for Starlink services in Ukraine and warned of seeking alternatives if SpaceX became unreliable. Rubio quickly defended Musk, denying any threats to cut Ukraine’s access and praising Starlink as vital to Ukraine’s survival in the war.


Their public collaboration continued Monday when Rubio thanked DOGE for canceling 83% of USAID programs, terminating 5,200 contracts, and shifting remaining projects to the State Department. Musk replied, calling the move “tough, but necessary,” and acknowledged working with Rubio.

This display of teamwork followed reports of a fiery clash between the two during a White House Cabinet meeting days earlier. According to a Daily Mail UK report, Musk accused Rubio of failing to reduce State Department staff, mockingly suggesting the only person fired was a DOGE employee.

Rubio fired back, questioning whether Musk considered early retirements as layoffs and sarcastically asking if he should rehire staff just to fire them again. The argument reportedly dragged on until Trump intervened, praising Rubio’s work and urging Cabinet members to approach workforce cuts carefully.

The meeting highlighted Trump’s effort to balance DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting—which has caused upheaval across federal agencies- with the practical challenges of governing. Trump emphasized he did not want “good people” cut indiscriminately but warned that DOGE would step in if agencies failed to act.

The tension between Musk and Rubio reflects broader struggles within the administration as DOGE pushes to dismantle federal programs. Earlier, Musk also sparred with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over outdated FAA equipment, underscoring friction between the billionaire’s team and Cabinet officials.