Elon Musk’s black eye fuels rumors: Did Scott Bessent or Stephen Miller throw a punch?
Elon Musk joined President Donald Trump at the Oval Office on Friday for a press conference, during which the president bid farewell to the Tesla CEO following his departure from the “Department of Government Efficiency” or DOGE. But what grabbed the internet’s attention was Musk’s visible black eye.
Elon Musk, alongside Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (L) and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick (C), speaks during a news conference with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 30, 2025. (AFP)
The appearance immediately sparked wild speculation online, with some social media users floating theories that either Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent or Trump adviser Stephen Miller may have “punched” the billionaire.
“Elon Musk has a very obvious black eye. Did the black eye come from a fall or running into a door? Or did Musk run into an irate Stephen Miller after Musk took Millers wife away and moved her to Austin, Tx with him?” one person asked.
Another wrote, “This is a black eye delivered by someone who can’t throw a punch and Stephen Miller’s wife just left him for Elon Musk also Stephen Miller is left handed probably unrelated.”
A third person commented, “Apparently, Elon Musk got punched out by 62-year-old Scott Bessent. It now makes perfect sense why Musk chickened out over fighting Zuck in an MMA match.”
Another user commented, “So it was SCOTT BESSENT that blackened Elon’s eye …”
Why Scott Bessent or Stephen Miller?
The rumors stem in part from a claim made by former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who told the Daily Mail that Musk got “physical” with Scott Bessent after being confronted over DOGE’s meager savings.
“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?’” Bannon told Daily Mail. “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 added.
The rumors about Stephen Miller come after his wife, Katie Miller, left her White House job to work full-time with Elon Musk. She worked as an adviser for DOGE and announced her departure soon after Musk left.
Also Read: ‘Elon Musk is so high that…’: Viral Oval Office video fuels drug use speculation
Musk’s explanation
When asked about the black eye during Friday’s press conference, Musk said, “I was just horsing around with Little X and I said, ‘Go ahead, punch me in the face.'”
“And he did. It turns out that even a five-year-old punching you in the face,” he added.
