FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 24, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Some senior Trump administration officials and Cabinet members are reportedly "deeply annoyed" by tech billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk.
According to a report in Rolling Stone published Thursday that quotes sources close to the administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has a "disdain" for Musk. The report further says the DOGE head is disliked to the extent that some State Department officials nicknamed him “Crazy Uncle Elon."
“I have been in the same room with Elon, and he always tries to be funny. And he’s not funny. Like, at all,” a senior Trump administration official, whose identity was not revealed, told Rolling Stone.
ALSO READ: 'Not helpful': Republicans want Musk to 'zip it' about Social Security
“He makes these jokes and little asides and smiles and then looks almost hurt if you don’t lap up his humor. I keep using the word ‘annoying’; a lot of people who have to deal with him do. But the word doesn’t do the situation justice. Elon just thinks he’s smarter than everyone else in the room and acts like it, even when it’s clear he doesn’t know what he’s talking about," the source added.
The report further claims that Musk has tested the patience of many senior officials of the Trump administration. "Trump lieutenants have walked out of meetings and earnestly asked one another if they thought Musk was high," according to the official quoted in the report.
"Administration officials joked to one another about subjecting Musk to mandatory drug testing, which Musk himself has said would be a 'great idea' for federal employees. (A lawyer for Musk has said he’s 'regularly and randomly drug-tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test.')," the report says.
The official said talking to Musk is "sometimes like listening to really rusty nails on a chalkboard."
ALSO READ: 'Slow burn': GOP strategists warn of 'mounting voter frustration' with Musk
“He’s just the most irritating person I’ve ever had to deal with, and that is saying something," the source added.
Earlier this month, Brad Schimel, a conservative judge who had President Donald Trump's endorsement and received $21 million in support from Musk and his organizations, suffered a significant defeat to a liberal judge backed by the Democratic Party Wisconsin, a state that Trump had previously won in November. This led many Republicans to question Musk's involvement in the administration.
ALSO READ: 'None of this is about saving money': GOPer reveals why Musk wants a government shutdown