White House officials have had enough of the bickering between Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and SpaceX founder Elon Musk—and they are placing the blame at Duffy’s feet, arguing that antagonizing the world’s richest man puts the GOP at risk ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“Duffy picking a fight with Elon doesn’t sit well with a lot of people because Elon is going to be a pretty big factor in the midterms,” a senior White House official told the Washington Free Beacon.
Duffy and Musk have been tangling publicly over whether Musk’s SpaceX has delivered on time for NASA’s historic Artemis III mission to reach the moon and over who should lead NASA on a permanent basis. Duffy is running it on an interim basis and favors keeping it under the purview of the Transportation Department, while Musk has advocated for “somebody with a 3 digit IQ” to get the job.
Duffy took aim at SpaceX in an appearance on CNBC on Monday, saying the company is behind schedule in developing a manned lunar drone. “I’m going to open up the contract, I’m going to let other companies compete with SpaceX,” he said.
Musk responded on X, “The person responsible for America’s space program can’t have a 2 digit IQ,” and, “Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!”
A White House spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the president has assembled the “greatest cabinet in history, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is a trusted, valued, and loyal member of the President’s team.”
While the president himself has also traded barbs with Musk, the two reconnected late last month at the memorial service for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Cameras captured the men shaking hands and chatting in a box at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.—the first time the two had spoken since Musk concluded his government service in late May.
Musk was the top political donor in the country in the last election cycle, pouring upwards of $250 million into the Trump campaign and his own super PAC. Naturally, the White House is keen to see Musk continue to support Republican candidates in 2026 and 2028, and aides expressed concern that Duffy could be an “impediment.”
NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens told the Free Beacon that Duffy’s remarks about SpaceX were aimed at introducing competition in the space race.
“It’s a matter of national security and national pride,” Stevens said. “He’s introduced competition from other companies to make sure President Trump is watching from Kennedy Space Center when American astronauts launch to plant our flag again. All companies do better and innovate faster when there’s competition.”
Duffy and Musk never got off on the right foot. At the first cabinet meeting in late February, Duffy accused Musk of interfering with his ability to run the Transportation Department by laying off air traffic controllers, the New York Times reported, an accusation Musk denied.
A separate struggle is also unfolding over who will lead NASA. Interim head Duffy wants to keep the agency under his purview at the Transportation Department, but Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur, astronaut, and Musk ally whose nomination was pulled in May after revelations he had donated to Democrats, is once again a live prospect.
Duffy interviewed Isaacman about a renomination last week, according to the Wall Street Journal, which described their talks as “contentious at times.” A NASA spokeswoman told the paper, “Sean said that NASA might benefit from being part of the Cabinet, maybe even within the Department of Transportation, but he’s never said he wants to keep the job himself.”
Isaacman now has the support of GOP senator Tim Sheehy (R., Mont.), who has lobbied for his nomination with the president, and of the MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, who called his nomination a “no brainer.”
“Sean Duffy has done excellent work as our Secretary of Transportation and he has been a great leader at NASA while filling in as interim administrator,” Sheehy told the Free Beacon. “After decades of putting space dominance on the back burner, NASA is in desperate need of rejuvenation. I believe Jared is the perfect person for the job.”
While no decision has been made on a permanent leader for NASA, the agency is unlikely to continue under Duffy’s purview, according to a senior White House official.
A White House spokeswoman told the Free Beacon the decision is “solely up to President Trump” and “it will be announced by him directly when it’s made.”
Duffy’s motivations have also emerged as a topic of conversation within the White House. Some believe that the former professional lumberjack and The Real World: Boston cast member is eyeing a 2028 presidential bid. “One of the things being discussed is whether he wants to throw his hat in the ring in 2028 and is laying the groundwork for that,” the senior White House official said.
A Duffy adviser dismissed the notion. “The only person stupid enough to think you can be president after running the Department of Transportation is Pete Buttigieg.”
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