Brawls, black eyes and drug use: A look at Elon Musk's departure from the White House

X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been at odds with more than one US official, as the billionaire reportedly had a physical altercation with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, right-wing podcaster Stephen Bannon claimed, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

In mid-April, both Bessent and Musk had visited the Oval Office to communicate their wishes for an acting IRS Commissioner. US President Donald Trump's decision to support Bessent’s choice reportedly led to the pair sharing a verbal disagreement in the hallway. 

While exchanging insults, Bessent was said to have referenced Musk’s promise to uncover $1 trillion in fraudulent and or wasteful government spending - a tall order which Musk was unable to achieve in his short time leading DOGE.

“Scott said, ‘You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud,’” Bannon said in an interview.

Bannon then alleged that Musk rammed his shoulder into Bessent’s ribs “like a rugby player” which resulted in him being hit back. 

“President Trump heard about it and said, ‘This is too much,’” Bannon said.

Elon Musk’s messy few months in the White House

While no longer on friendly terms, Trump had reportedly offered Musk makeup to cover up a blackeye ahead of their appearance in the Oval Office. 

“I was just horsing around with little X, and I said, ‘Go ahead, punch me in the face,’ and he did,” Musk told reporters.

While Musk has previously admitted to using small amounts of Ketamine, his drug use has been said to have been more than what he was willing to disclose. He has previously claimed he was prescribed ketamine every two weeks as a treatment for depression.

People familiar with his routine also told the NYT that Musk had struggled with binge eating and playing video games for extended periods of time.

Musk, according to the NYT, said that his use of the drug had increased to such an extent that it began impacting his bladder. Informed sources also claimed he was taking psychedelic mushrooms and ecstasy and carried a daily medication box with 20 pills inside.

Since falling out with the president, Trump has reportedly called Musk “a big-time drug addict,” according to the Washington Post.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s falling out

Trump and Musk began exchanging insults last week on social media, with Musk describing the president's sweeping tax and spending bill as a "disgusting abomination."

Asked whether he thought his son had made a mistake by engaging in a public row with the president, Errol Musk said people were sometimes unable to think as clearly as they should "in the heat of the moment."

"They've had five months of intense stress," Musk told Reuters at a conference in Moscow organized by conservative Russian tycoons.

"With all the opposition cleared and two people left in the arena, all they have ever done is get rid of everything and now they are trying to get rid of each other - well that has to stop."

Asked how it would end, he said: "Oh, it will end on a good note - very soon."

Trump said on Saturday his relationship with Musk was over and that there would be "serious consequences" if the world's richest man decided to fund US Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the tax and spending bill.

Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Trump named Musk to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending.

Musk's father told reporters he was standing by his son.

"Elon is sticking to his principles but you cannot always stick to your principles in the real world," Musk's father said. "Sometimes you have to give and take."