How a Trump staffer's quiet revenge may have triggered the Musk fallout

A senior White House official has found himself at the heart of the public fallout between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. According to a report by the New York Post, simmering tensions, personal vendettas, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering triggered the dramatic rift between the two influential figures.
Sergio Gor, director of Presidential Personnel in the Trump administration, has been identified as the key figure behind Trump's abrupt move to withdraw the nomination of Jared Isaacman—Musk's close friend—for the post of Nasa administrator.
The decision reportedly came just hours after Musk exited the Oval Office, and according to sources cited by New York Post, it was no coincidence.
The March 6 flashpoint
Tensions between Gor and Musk had reportedly been brewing since before Trump officially resumed office in January. But it was the March 6 Cabinet meeting that proved to be the tipping point.
'Elon was always telling the president 'Sergio's not moving fast enough to hire people. He's not the right guy for the job.' In front of the entire Cabinet, he said that,' one source told the New York Post.
Following the incident, sources say Trump began showing clear signs of displeasure toward Gor. 'It wasn't just about humiliation,' the source said. 'It was the way the president began giving him the 'Why aren't you doing your f***ing job?' look.'
'Elon was his obsession'
What followed, according to sources, was a quiet campaign of retribution. Gor allegedly told colleagues that he was going to take 'one last shot' at Musk before his own White House exit.
'He was bragging to other people that he was going to get one last shot at Elon out the door,' said a source. 'He was going to get Elon back for making him look bad.'
Sources also claimed that Gor would monitor Tesla's stock performance obsessively, taking delight in any decline. 'He would pull up the Stocks app on his phone, show the dip in Tesla shares, and send screenshots with laughing emojis,' a source said.
'Elon was, like, his obsession," the source added.
Gor is even said to have mocked a moment when Trump publicly bought a Tesla from Musk outside the White House—implying that the Tesla CEO was seeking presidential support to stabilise his company's dipping stock.
Sergio Gor denies allegations
Gor, however, has categorically denied that his actions were driven by personal animosity.
Bannon dismisses Gor's role
Trump ally Steve Bannon also pushed back against claims that Gor instigated the Trump-Musk clash. According to Bannon, the tensions had been building over deeper issues, including disagreements on tariffs and security protocols.
'This is between the president and Elon,' Bannon told the New York Post. 'This has nothing to do with Sergio Gor. Sergio Gor is a staffer that the president has to do things.'

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First Post

41 minutes ago

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STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The BLU-127 bomb body contains a total explosive payload of 5,342 pounds (2,423 kg). These high-performance polymer-bonded explosives are optimised for controlled detonation in confined spaces. The bomb's casing is made from high-density Eglin steel alloy, engineered to survive the extreme stresses of deep penetration before detonation. To ensure precision targeting, the MOP employs a combination of Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance. In flight, the bomb is stabilised by grid fins, which help maintain trajectory and allow for mid-course adjustments. This integrated system enables the bomb to strike within metres of its intended target. Detonation timing is managed by the Large Penetrator Smart Fuze (LPSF), which adjusts the moment of explosion based on impact depth and the characteristics of the underground structure. The US Air Force has said that the GBU-57 can penetrate up to 60 m (200 ft) of unspecified material before exploding. Some analysts say the weapon can penetrate about 60 m (200 ft) of earth or 18 m (59 ft) of concrete. The MOP can currently be dropped only by the B-2 Spirit, which can carry up to two of the bombs. The B-21 Raider is slated to carry it to. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bombing Iranian Underground Nuclear Facilities Iran's nuclear sites at Fordow and the most recent halls at Natanz are known to lie more than 80 m (260 ft) underground. The original Natanz enrichment plant sits roughly 20 m (66 ft) below the surface. Iranian domestic research has produced concrete exceeding 30,000 psi (210 MPa), a level that could sharply reduce the bomb's effective penetration depth. Complicating matters further are the weapon's guidance accuracy in a GPS-jamming environment and the possibility of deflection or yaw caused by advanced bunker-shell construction techniques. The GBU-57 MOP was reportedly used as part of a United States airstrike operation on Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, conducted overnight in the early hours of June 22, 2025, as part of American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. A dozen GBU-57A were dropped on Fordow and two on Natanz by the USAF. US Navy submarines fired 30 TLAM cruise missiles at Natanz and Isfahan sites. President Trump declared the attacks a success. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Deception and Decoy Trump called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender' on June 17, but Iran's leadership scoffed in response. Just two days back, President Trump repeated the 'two weeks' warning to Iran to avoid US air strikes. European diplomats also urged Iran to resume talks, but Tehran refused until the aggression stops. Iran continued major ballistic missile strikes against Israel, and some of these could not be intercepted. The conflict has resulted in numerous casualties on both sides. Meanwhile multiple US B-2 bombers began heading towards Guam as Trump was weighing joining Israel. There were reports that they could reposition at Diego Garcia. Meanwhile, mid last week, the US moved 30 military tanker aircraft from bases in America to countries in Europe, possibly on standby. This mobilisation comes amidst growing tensions between Iran and Israel, with missile attacks reported in Tel Aviv. The final attack came very quickly and was launched directly from the US mainland. This found Iran somewhat unprepared. According to open-source flight tracking and radio communications, the bombers launched on June 21 were refuelled off the US Pacific Coast by Air Force tankers using HIFI call signs, which are commonly associated with bomber missions. There are also reports based on satellite pictures that Iran had moved a significant part of fissile material from Fordow in convoys of trucks days before the actual attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Can the War Escalate? A prominent adviser to Iran's supreme leader has called for missile strikes on US Navy ships and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route. 'Following America's attack on the Fordow nuclear installation, it is now our turn,' warned Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the hard-line Kayhan newspaper. 'Without hesitation or delay, as a first step, we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping.' His message ended with a quote from the Quran, which read: 'Kill them wherever you shall overtake (find) them.' Meanwhile, there has been increased air activity over Tehran. The air defences jumped into action numerous times in the night hours. Meanwhile, Trump's media post reflects the administration's willingness to escalate further if provoked, reinforcing the president's long-standing promise that a nuclear-armed Iran 'will not be tolerated'. US Existing Deployments in West Asia The US has some 40,000 troops in West Asia, and US officials say that additional deployments to the region are purely defensive. So far, the US military mission has been limited to protecting Israel and US forces. US fighter aircraft have helped shoot down Iranian drones, and US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) batteries and Aegis-equipped ships have also defended Israel. The US has moved more ballistic missile defence destroyers to the eastern Mediterranean in recent days and has deployed more than two dozen tankers to Europe and additional Air Force fighters to West Asia. The Pentagon has also dispatched the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region under US Central Command, which oversees US forces in West Asia. The Nimitz will join the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, which is already operating in the region. Four B-52 Stratofortress bombers replaced the B-2s on Diego Garcia and remain on station there. Additional air assets into the region include F-16 and F-35 multi-role fighters. The F-22 air superiority fighters are likely to arrive in the coming days. USAF squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles, A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes, and F-16s were already in place in the Middle East. To Summarise President Trump thanked the Israeli military 'for the wonderful job they've done' and praised American service members for 'an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.' 'There is no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight,' he said, going on to praise his top US military leadership. The objective of Saturday's strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites was to stop the 'nuclear threat'. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror,' Trump added. 'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,' Trump said. He said, 'This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left.' Trump warned that the US could 'go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill', which he said could be done 'in a matter of minutes'. 'For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel.' They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over 1,000 people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate,' Trump said. He said that 'so many were killed by their general, Qasem Soleimani.' Trump ordered a strike in Iraq in January 2020 to kill Soleimani, a decision he said at the time was aimed at deterrence. 'I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue,' Trump said Saturday. Iran-backed Houthis say Trump 'must bear the consequences' for strikes on Iran. Earlier, a statement from the Houthi-controlled Yemeni Armed Forces said the group was prepared to target US Navy warships in the Red Sea 'in the event that the American enemy launches an aggression in support' of Israel. Will the Houthis and Hezbollah become more active? The US could once again retaliate with a series of air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that had early continued into the spring of this year. Will Iran arrange to randomly kill Americans in West Asia? Will the war escalate within West Asia between Shia and Sunni sects of Islam? Will the shipping lanes be choked? There is likely to be a serious dent in global oil supplies, and prices are likely to shoot up. India will certainly be affected. Iran's atomic agency has condemned the US attacks on three of the country's nuclear facilities and vowed 'never' to stop its nuclear program, according to Iranian media. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran described the strikes as a 'blatant violation of international law, particularly the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT),' and accused the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of 'complicity.' UN chief Antonio Guterres said he is 'gravely alarmed' by the US strike on Iran and called for peace. He urged all UN member states to de-escalate under their obligations to the UN Charter and international law. India has maintained the 'Wait and Watch' stand and has advised caution to both sides. India had timely begun evacuating its citizens from Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine has emerged as one of the key voices advising Trump over the course of the Israel-Iran conflict as the president weighed the possibility of US military intervention, along with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, whom Trump had tasked with pursuing a diplomatic solution. The US conveyed to Iran through back-channel discussions that further strikes would be contained and that no further strikes were planned going forward. It wasn't immediately clear how the message was conveyed, but it signals Trump's desire to continue searching for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. The MOP was believed to be the only ordnance able to reach the deeply buried facilities, though there were doubts that one single bomb would be able to penetrate deeply enough to reach them. Therefore, more were perhaps dropped. Future Israeli military action in Iran will depend on how Tehran reacts to the US strikes against its nuclear facilities. Israeli officials have said eliminating Iran's nuclear program is the primary goal of their bombing campaign, but senior Israeli officials have also increasingly said they are aiming to remove the Iranian regime from power. The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.