Latest news with #SergioGor
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
West Wing Civil War Erupts Over Who Caused Trump-Musk Explosion
A top White House aide nursing a grudge against Elon Musk is being partly blamed for igniting President Donald Trump's war with the Tesla CEO. Sergio Gor, the White House director of presidential personnel, urged Trump to rescind his nomination for Musk's personal friend Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, sparking a rift between the president and the world's richest man that erupted in public Thursday, the New York Post reported. 'The NASA guy was the straw that broke the camel's back,' a White House source told the Post, suggesting that Gor wanted 'to bury the knife in [Musk's] back.' Four sources inside or close to the White House told the outlet that Gor, 38, has been holding a grudge against Musk, 53, ever since the billionaire 'humiliated' him in front of the Trump Cabinet for not moving fast enough on staffing the administration. 'Sergio was upset about Elon dressing him down at the meeting and said he was going to 'get him,'' another source said. '[Pulling Isaacman's nomination] was the modern-day equivalent of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Sure, Sergio got a scalp, but what did POTUS get?' Gor reportedly developed a deep personal dislike of Musk while the tech mogul was still on friendly terms with Trump, and gleefully celebrated dips in Musk's wealth when Tesla stock plunged, according to three of the sources. 'He'd go around showing Tesla stock prices going down and laugh about it,' one White House source told the Post. The outlet said Gor denied taking pleasure in Tesla's falling stock or ever seeking revenge against Musk. Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon backed up Gor, saying the Trump-Musk feud had been simmering for months over issues like Musk's opposition to Trump's tariff strategy. 'Did Elon have a problem with Sergio?' Bannon, a longtime Musk antagonist told the Post. 'Yes, the fact that we are not hiring enough—guess what—liberal f---ing progressive Democrats.' He argued Trump engaged in the bitter spat because he's 'upset' over Musk's failure to deliver significant savings at DOGE and his reported drug use. Yet, Trump and Musk heaped praise on each other at a congenial send-off last Friday, following the conclusion of Musk's term as a special advisor. It wasn't until Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination shortly after Musk—his biggest financial backer in 2024—left the White House, that the billionaire launched a sharp attack on the president's cherished 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' calling it a 'disgusting abomination' in an X post on Tuesday. The Trump administration has cited Isaacman's past donations to Democrats as the reason for Trump rescinding his nomination just days before his Senate confirmation. But Isaacman, another billionaire in Trumpworld, questioned that explanation, noting his donations have long been public knowledge. 'I don't blame an influential adviser coming in and saying, 'Look, here's the facts, and I think we should kill this guy,'' Isaacman said on the All-In podcast Wednesday. 'And the president's got to make a call and move on.' For now, it seems the administration is sticking with Gor. The Post said that White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called Gor 'a vital member of the team and he has helped President Trump put together an administration that is second to none.' One source close to the White House speculated, however, that Gor could become the fall guy and help mend the Trump-Musk relationship—if Musk can be convinced that the president was merely being 'played' by Gor.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Musk ally escalates Tesla chief's feud with Trump
An Elon Musk ally whose nomination to run NASA for Donald Trump was withdrawn the same day the 'First Buddy' departed the White House claims he lost his job out of revenge. Jared Isaacman (pictured), 42, had his nomination pulled Friday after a 'thorough review' of his 'prior associations,' Trump said. Isaacman has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight on Musk's SpaceX company in 2021. It has been heavily speculated that Sergio Gor, an official in the White House Presidential Personnel Office, pushed Isaacman out the door over disputes with Musk and failure to consult him and other personnel officials on some decisions. Speaking to the All-In Podcast following his exit, Isaacman said that he still supports President Trump but suggests the speculation is correct. 'I mean, people can draw their own conclusions but I think the directions people are going in seems to check out to me,' Isaacman said. He even suggested that it wasn't personal between him and Trump, saying 'one person decided to make a move' to oust him. Isaacman also believes the nomination was withdrawn to coincide with his friend Musk parting ways with the administration . 'I had a pretty good idea, I don't think the timing was much of a coincidence. Obviously, there was more than one departure that was covered on that day,' he said. Isaacman blamed 'some people' with 'axes to grind' against either him or Musk, saying he was a 'good, visible target.' He described someone, presumably Gor, as 'an influential advisor coming in and saying: 'Here's the facts and I think we gotta' kill this guy.'' 'I want to be overwhelmingly clear: I don't fault the president,' Isaacman added. The president maintains he backflipped on billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman's appointment after learning of his past donations to the Democrats. But MAGA loyalists suspect Trump may have been set up to make the call by insiders who have it out for Elon Musk and are looking to hurt him by punishing his friend. Trump ally Laura Loomer wrote: 'There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with Elon Musk. If so, this would suggest there is a coordinated hit job on Isaacman in an effort to damage ties between President Trump and Elon Musk before the 2026 midterms. Is President Trump aware of the ulterior motives by some individuals in the administration who have an interest in seeing Isaacman's nomination pulled?' The New York Times revealed on Sunday that Trump reportedly knew about Isaacman's donations from the moment he chose to nominate him to run NASA. Isaacman told All-In that he disclosed over the years he had donated to prominent Democrats, including in the past two campaign cycles. Musk has also donated to Democrats in the past, before going on to become the single largest benefactor to the MAGA movement during the last campaign in his push to see Trump return to the White House. Isaacman was selected by Trump at the height of his bromance with Musk, who has a long and storied connection with the fellow billionaire. It is understood that Musk lobbied for Isaacman's appointment and that Trump deferred to the SpaceX founder for the final decision. At the time, Trump described Isaacman as 'an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut.' He had been approved by a Senate committee and was headed to a confirmation vote this week when Trump suddenly pulled his nomination. The president gave Musk a heads up on Friday - his last day at the White House - that he intended to do so. Musk's time in the White House was fraught with tension and pushback from some of Trump's closest advisors, some of whom didn't like the access Musk had to the president and the power he wielded over departments with his Department of Government Efficiency . This has sparked rampant speculation that in the wake of his official departure as a Special Government Employee, that some of his foes are exacting revenge by getting in Trump's ear about Isaacman's nomination. Republican Senator and Trump ally Tim Sheehy wrote on X: 'Astronaut and successful businessman @RookIsaacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA. I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.' It is understood that some of Trump's allies had been pressing him about Isaacman's donations to the Democrats in recent days, prompting Trump to renege on his offer. Loomer said despite his liberal ties, Isaacman was an ideal candidate to lead NASA, with 'unmatched credentials.' 'Isaacman was on track to get over 70 Senate votes. So why the sudden reversal and talks to pull his nomination?' she asked. 'Because the Deep State doesn't want President Trump to have allies like this in his administration.' White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston pushed back against any suggestion that the decision was not Trump's. 'The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,' she said. 'It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.' And Trump himself appeared to quell concerns that he and Musk were on the outs on Sunday night, sharing a new picture to Truth Social of him with the former First Buddy and one of Musk's sons. Musk left his role less than a week ago and just days ahead of schedule, signing off with a warm X post praising Trump. However, he has since gone on a days-long rampage against Trump's landmark 'big, beautiful bill' and lamented the treatment of his baby-faced DOGE henchmen during his time in the White House. He said: 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it.' And in the days since his departure, a laundry list of allegations have surfaced about the simmering tensions between Musk and a handful of Trump's other allies. Former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told that Musk's turbulent time in the White House was marred when he physically 'shoved' 62-year-old Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after he was confronted over wild promises to save the administration 'a trillion dollars'. 'Scott Bessent called him out and said, 'You promised us a trillion dollars (in cuts), and now you're at like $100 billion, and nobody can find anything, what are you doing?'' the prominent MAGA figure revealed. 'And that's when Elon got physical. It's a sore subject with him. 'It wasn't an argument, it was a physical confrontation. Elon basically shoved him.' Bannon said the physical altercation came as the two billionaires moved from the Oval Office to outside Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' office, and then outside the office of the then National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz. 'Trump 100%' sided with Bessent after the clash, he added. 'I don't think Bessent has any bad blood, but he's got a job to do and he's going to do it.' The revelations of the Musk-Bessant clash follow an explosive New York Times report that alleged Musk was using a cocktail of drugs on the campaig n trail including ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. Bannon added that Musk also lost status in Trump's orbit when it was leaked to the New York Times in March that the billionaire was preparing to receive top-secret military briefings on China, which Trump abruptly stopped. 'People in the administration and the White House realized he didn't have any idea what he's doing,' Bannon said. 'They cauterized the damage.' Separately, reports claimed Musk insulted Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, by accusing him in front of Trump, of not cutting back on his staff and clashed with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy for not firing enough air traffic controllers . He also called Peter Navarro, the architect of Trump's trade policy, 'a moron.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Musk ally pours gasoline on Tesla chief's feud with Trump after it cost him the top job at NASA
An Elon Musk ally whose nomination to run NASA for Donald Trump was withdrawn the same day the 'First Buddy' departed the White House claims he lost his job out of revenge. Jared Isaacman, 42, had his nomination pulled Friday after a 'thorough review' of his 'prior associations,' Trump said. Isaacman has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight on Musk's SpaceX company in 2021. It has been heavily speculated that Sergio Gor, an official in the White House Presidential Personnel Office, pushed Isaacman out the door over disputes with Musk and failure to consult him and other personnel officials on some decisions. Speaking to the All-In Podcast following his exit, Isaacman said that he still supports President Trump but suggests the speculation is correct. 'I mean, people can draw their own conclusions but I think the directions people are going in seems to check out to me,' Isaacman said. He even suggested that it wasn't personal between him and Trump, saying 'one person decided to make a move' to oust him. Isaacman also believes the nomination was withdrawn to coincide with his friend Musk parting ways with the administration. 'I had a pretty good idea, I don't think the timing was much of a coincidence. Obviously, there was more than one departure that was covered on that day,' he said. Isaacman blamed 'some people' with 'axes to grind' against either him or Musk, saying he was a 'good, visible target.' He described someone, presumably Gor, as 'an influential advisor coming in and saying: 'here's the facts and I think we gotta' kill this guy.'' 'I want to be overwhelmingly clear: I don't fault the president,' Isaacman added. The president maintains he backflipped on billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman's appointment after learning of his past donations to the Democrats. But MAGA loyalists suspect Trump may have been set up to make the call by insiders who have it out for Elon Musk and are looking to hurt him by punishing his friend. Trump ally Laura Loomer wrote: 'There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with Elon Musk. 'If so, this would suggest there is a coordinated hit job on Isaacman in an effort to damage ties between President Trump and Elon Musk before the 2026 midterms. It has been heavily speculated that Sergio Gor (pictured), an official in the White House Presidential Personnel Office, pushed Isaacman out the door over disputes with Musk and failure to consult him and other personnel officials on some decisions 'Is President Trump aware of the ulterior motives by some individuals in the administration who have an interest in seeing Isaacman's nomination pulled?' The New York Times revealed on Sunday that Trump reportedly knew about Isaacman's donations from the moment he chose to nominate him to run NASA. Isaacman told All-In that he disclosed over the years he had donated to prominent Democrats, including in the past two campaign cycles. Musk has also donated to Democrats in the past, before going on to become the single largest benefactor to the MAGA movement during the last campaign in his push to see Trump return to the White House. Isaacman was selected by Trump at the height of his bromance with Musk, who has a long and storied connection with the fellow billionaire. It is understood that Musk lobbied for Isaacman's appointment and that Trump deferred to the SpaceX founder for the final decision. At the time, Trump described Isaacman as 'an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut.' He had been approved by a Senate committee and was headed to a confirmation vote this week when Trump suddenly pulled his nomination. The president gave Musk a heads up on Friday - his last day at the White House - that he intended to do so. Musk's time in the White House was fraught with tension and pushback from some of Trump's closest advisors, some of whom didn't like the access Musk had to the president and the power he wielded over departments with his Department of Government Efficiency. This has sparked rampant speculation that in the wake of his official departure as a Special Government Employee, that some of his foes are exacting revenge by getting in Trump's ear about Isaacman's nomination. Republican Senator and Trump ally Tim Sheehy wrote on X: 'Astronaut and successful businessman @RookIsaacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA. 'I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.' It is understood that some of Trump's allies had been pressing him about Isaacman's donations to the Democrats in recent days, prompting Trump to renege on his offer. Loomer said despite his liberal ties, Isaacman was an ideal candidate to lead NASA, with 'unmatched credentials.' 'Isaacman was on track to get over 70 Senate votes. So why the sudden reversal and talks to pull his nomination?' she asked. 'Because the Deep State doesn't want President Trump to have allies like this in his administration.' White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston pushed back against any suggestion that the decision was not Trump's. 'The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,' she said. 'It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.' And Trump himself appeared to quell concerns that he and Musk were on the outs on Sunday night, sharing a new picture to Truth Social of him with the former First Buddy and one of Musk's sons. Musk left his role less than a week ago and just days ahead of schedule, signing off with a warm X post praising Trump. However, he has since gone on a days-long rampage against Trump's landmark 'big, beautiful bill' and lamented the treatment of his baby-faced DOGE henchmen during his time in the White House. He said: 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it.' And in the days since his departure, a laundry list of allegations have surfaced about the simmering tensions between Musk and a handful of Trump's other allies. Former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told that Musk's turbulent time in the White House was marred when he physically 'shoved' 62-year-old Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after he was confronted over wild promises to save the administration 'a trillion dollars'. 'Scott Bessent called him out and said, 'You promised us a trillion dollars (in cuts), and now you're at like $100 billion, and nobody can find anything, what are you doing?'' the prominent MAGA figure revealed. 'And that's when Elon got physical. It's a sore subject with him. 'It wasn't an argument, it was a physical confrontation. Elon basically shoved him.' Bannon said the physical altercation came as the two billionaires moved from the Oval Office to outside Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' office, and then outside the office of the then National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz. 'Trump 100%' sided with Bessent after the clash, he added. 'I don't think Bessent has any bad blood, but he's got a job to do and he's going to do it.' The revelations of the Musk-Bessant clash follow an explosive New York Times report that alleged Musk was using a cocktail of drugs on the campaig n trail including ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. Bannon added that Musk also lost status in Trump's orbit when it was leaked to the New York Times in March that the billionaire was preparing to receive top-secret military briefings on China, which Trump abruptly stopped. 'People in the administration and the White House realized he didn't have any idea what he's doing,' Bannon said. 'They cauterized the damage.' Separately, reports claimed Musk insulted Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, by accusing him in front of Trump, of not cutting back on his staff and clashed with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy for not firing enough air traffic controllers.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump to host thousands of admin officials for one of the largest events ever on White House lawn
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening is hosting the more than 3,000 political appointees in his administration for one of the largest events ever held on the White House lawn to celebrate their work, Fox News Digital has learned. The event will be the first time ever that the president has invited all individuals hired across all departments to the White House at the same time for the same event, officials told Fox News Digital. Traditionally, events are held over several shifts for each department, but Wednesday's event will honor the more than 3,000 individuals hired for the second Trump administration. "This is his team. These are his people," an official told Fox News Digital. "These are individuals who are hand-selected by the president to work in the administration delivering on the historic mandate that he received in November." The president will attend the event and address the attendees. Most members of the Cabinet will also attend. Those familiar with the planning of the event told Fox News Digital that there will be food and entertainment for staff. "President Trump's Office of Presidential Personnel is breaking hiring records at an unprecedented pace," Director of Presidential Personnel Sergio Gor told Fox News Digital. "In just 135 days, we have filled 91% of all political appointments across the U.S. government, a historic achievement." Gor told Fox News Digital that "the quality of talent that we've assembled is remarkable." "Each political appointee in the Trump administration is unwavering in their commitment to this president and his goal to make America great again," Gor said. Since the president took office Jan. 20, the administration has hired more than 3,200 appointees. An official in the Office of Presidential Personnel told Fox News Digital that at the Departments of Defense, Commerce and Treasury, more than 85% of political hires are complete; at the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Homeland Security, 90% of political hires are complete; and at the Department of Veterans Affairs, 100% of political hires are complete. The official told Fox News Digital that the administration is filled with individuals who have served as Fortune 500 executives, accomplished business leaders, technical experts and "dedicated aides that are working to ensure that President Trump continues to deliver for the American people." "We have hired the best and brightest to make America great again and advance the America First agenda," the official said. Trump's Cabinet was also confirmed in record time, with officials noting that none of his Cabinet-level nominees failed in committee or on the Senate floor for confirmation.
