Elon Musk lashed out at U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday, calling him "a Soros stooge" and "a political science major who can't even do math" in a post on X.
What Happened: Musk added that polling for him "was very positive a year ago, which is why Trump used me so much," dismissing Bessent's criticism of his popularity.
The outburst followed Bessent's appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," where the Trump Cabinet pick said the Department of Government Efficiency principles "were very popular," but "if you looked at the polling, Elon was not."
Bessent also suggested Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX directors "did not like" Musk's decision to launch a new "America Party" and would urge him to refocus on business.
Bessent's jab hit a sensitive nerve in a week that saw Musk trumpet the third-party plan after breaking with President Donald Trump over the deficit-swelling "One Big Beautiful Bill." Trump allies quickly highlighted polls showing mixed views of DOGE and Musk.
Why It Matters: Bessent built his fortune running George Soros's hedge-fund empire before founding Key Square Capital and later joining Trump's economic team. In 1992, Bessent spearheaded Soros Fund Management's London research, pinpointed the pound's weakness, and helped execute the $10 billion short that "broke" the Bank of England. This event became infamously known as ‘Black Wednesday’.
Bessent’s Soros résumé probably fed Musk's "stooge" slur and reignited conservative skepticism about the financier's influence in Washington.
The two men have sparred for months, including an April shouting match inside the White House that reportedly turned physical. Bessent last week had his say on the Musk-Trump clash too where he said, "I think if Elon sticks to rockets, I will stick to finance."
Trump has stayed mostly silent since Musk's tirade, though he ridiculed the America Party as a "train wreck" and warned a third party would sow chaos.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock/Joshua Sukoff
