Trump’s New Personnel Chief Distances Himself from Elon Musk Amid Administration Tensions

Scott Kupor, the newly appointed head of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), said Monday he has no personal ties to Elon Musk, as he sought to reassure reporters of his loyalty to former President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“I have zero personal relationship with Elon Musk. I have talked to Elon Musk once on the phone in my life,” Kupor said, emphasizing that he is solely focused on implementing Trump’s directives.

Kupor’s remarks come amid lingering questions about Silicon Valley’s influence within the Trump administration, following a public fallout between Trump and Musk. The tech billionaire, once a key ally, broke with Trump over policy disagreements, including the administration’s tax and spending plans.

Musk had played a significant role in the administration’s drive to reduce the federal workforce through his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. However, he stepped down in May to refocus on his companies, including Tesla and his AI startup xAI.

Despite praising Musk’s service at the time, Trump later withdrew the nomination of Musk associate Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, a move that reportedly frustrated Musk. The president also threatened to cancel federal contracts with Musk’s companies after the billionaire labeled Trump’s tax bill a “disgusting abomination.”

Kupor, who previously worked at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz—an investor in several Musk ventures—stressed that his decisions will not be shaped by Musk’s interests.

“My job is to do the agenda that the president lays out to the best I can,” Kupor said. “But I’m not going to do it consistent with someone else’s objectives that are inconsistent with what the president wants to do.”