The altercation happened steps from the Oval Office and had to be broken up by bystanders.

A schoolyard brawl between Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent contributed to Musk’s messy break-up with Donald Trump, according to a new report.

Musk thrust his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage “like a rugby player,” The Washington Post reported, based on an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon.

Bessent started to hit Musk back, and the fight had to be broken up by several bystanders. The world’s richest man was “shuffled out of the West Wing,” according to the Post.

The altercation came after an Oval Office meeting where Musk and Bessent made competing pitches to the president about who should lead the IRS. Trump opted for Bessent’s choice.

As the men walked away from the Oval, they began to spar verbally. Bannon told the Post that Bessent called Musk a “total fraud” for failing to meet his goal of cutting $1 trillion in federal spending. But then things got physical.

When Trump heard about the altercation, he said, “This is too much,” Bannon said.

The White House declined to comment on the claim that Musk and Bessent exchanged blows.

“President Trump and the entire Administration will continue the important mission of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from our federal government on behalf of taxpayers, and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill is critical to helping accomplish that mission,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

The Daily Beast has reached out to Musk’s lawyer for comment.

News of the disagreement between Musk and Bessent—and an expletive-laden argument between the two near the Oval—was previously reported.

The Post reported that the Bessent brawl spelled trouble for Musk and Trump’s relationship, contributing to their explosive falling-out this week.

It’s worth noting that Bannon, a MAGA podcaster and former White House strategist during Trump’s first time, has long been an adversary of Musk’s. Since the Tesla CEO’s messy split with Trump, Bannon has fired a string of attacks at Musk, calling for an investigation into the tech billionaire’s immigration status and drug use.

Trump biographer Michael Wolff said on The Daily Beast Podcast that he believes Bannon is “looking for ways to get back in the fray.” Bannon was booted from the White House in August 2017 after clashing with other aides.

The tensions had long been brewing between Musk and Trump, but the conflict burst into the public domain on Thursday, when the former allies began trading blows on social media.

Musk alleged that Trump was in the “Epstein files,” and that this was why the government had failed to release documents on notorious pedophile sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also called for Trump’s impeachment and floated starting his own competing political party.

Trump has said Musk “lost his mind” and suggested that his behavior may be a result of his drug use. Behind closed doors, he has been more direct, telling aides that Musk is a “a big-time drug addict,” according to the Post.

Musk has since quieted down and even offered signs that he might be cooling off. He deleted several of his most inflammatory posts, including the allegation about Trump and Epstein.

However, a White House insider told the Post there’s no undoing the damage. “There’s hope that there’s going to be a reconciliation,” the person said. “But it’ll never be the same.”