Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon claims that Elon Musk’s influence inside the Trump administration suffered greatly when former President Donald Trump openly refuted claims that Musk was scheduled a sensitive Pentagon briefing concerning possible confrontation with China.
In an interview with The Atlantic published Wednesday, Bannon asserted that Trump’s public criticism of the narrative—originally reported by The New York Times in March—marked a major turning point in Musk’s prominence inside the federal government. “You could feel it. everything changed, Bannon remarked. “The fever had broken off.”
According to the March story by The New York Times, Musk, who had been closely involved in the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was supposed to be briefed on backup plans including possible U.S. military action against China. Democratic legislators and ethical watchdogs, who questioned why a private tech millionaire with worldwide commercial interests including in China would be given access to such sensitive intelligence, immediately expressed indignation.
Trump instantly commented on Truth Social, his social media channel, rejecting the report as “fake news,” soon after it was published. Saying the concept that Musk would get such a confidential briefing was “ridiculous,” he added, “China won’t even be addressed or explored.”
Long-critic of Musk, Bannon regarded Trump’s denial as an intentional distance rather than just damage control. According to him, the comment openly undercuts Musk’s influence inside the government. “That marked the end of the Elon Musk era inside the federal government,” said Bannon.
Originally a public face of DOGE, an effort aimed at overhauling and simplifying bloated federal bureaucracy, Musk has since distanced himself from political activities. Musk has turned his attention as DOGE keeps running, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming that its staff members are “still working with President Trump’s cabinet to make our government more efficient.”
Musk has reaffirmed recently that his first concerns now centre on Tesla, SpaceX, and X (previously Twitter). Declaring a partial retreat from the political scene, he said he intends to cut his political donations and has cancelled planned visits to many forthcoming policy summits.
Given the increasing scrutiny of Musk’s influence, his retreat could possibly be calculated strategically. Critics, especially during Trump’s second term, have long sounded warnings on Musk’s entanglement in federal decision-making. Being among the first private persons assigned a “special government employee” title, Musk allegedly had authority to influence national economic policy and make hiring decisions across many agencies.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior government official said Musk’s involvement was “unprecedented” and “probably problematic,” considering his personal investments and commercial links. Once news of Musk’s ongoing conversations with Chinese officials over Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai leaked, worries grew more pronounced even as he was allegedly guiding U.S. government on geopolitical risk involving China.
Reportedly, the strain inside the government erupted in a now-famous episode involving Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Atlantic claims that Bessent and Musk got into a loud and profane dispute in the West Wing over Musk’s demand on selecting a specific IRS commissioner. Several aides saw the episode, which allegedly helped Trump decide to begin separating himself from Musk.
Musk has kept sporadic closeness to Trump despite these changes. Most recently, he travelled with Trump on a diplomatic tour to the Middle East and was spotted at the Oval Office next to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Although Musk’s direct influence on legislation may be diminishing, observers have observed that his vocal support of Trump and symbolic presence still have political power.
Still dubious about Musk’s influence in government, though, Bannon During an April interview with Business Insider, he labelled Musk as a “techno-feudalist” in his usual combative manner. “He was always nasty,” Bannon claimed. “These men—the Musks, the Bezoses—are man-childs endowed with unearthly might. It’s crazy.
While some GOP members have begun to doubt the prudence of allowing unelected billionaires a voice at the policy-making table, some conservatives still applaud Musk for his support of deregulation and free-market ideas.
Musk apparently is recalibrating right now. Recently he wrote on X that “entrepreneurial innovation works best when it’s outside the political arena.” Whether that attitude signifies a tactical stop or a permanent retreat is yet unknown.
Washington insiders are closely observing whether the billionaire entrepreneur will make a political comeback—or slip into the private sector with his legacy securely behind him—as DOGE’s work proceeds without his most well-known face.
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