White House Senior Official Compares Working With ‘Irritating’ Elon Musk to ‘Listening to Nails on a Chalkboard’

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

White House officials are growing “deeply annoyed” with Elon Musk, describing him as “irritating,” according to a new report.

In a Rolling Stone deep-dive into Musk’s work with the White House and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), a senior administration official was quoted tearing into Musk.

The official said:

I have been in the same room with Elon, and he always tries to be funny. And he’s not funny. Like, at all. 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 official described Musk as the “most irritating” person they have ever dealt with.

“Talking to the guy is sometimes like listening to really rusty nails on a chalkboard,” they said. “He’s just the most irritating person I’ve ever had to deal with, and that is saying something.”

Two other officials also confirmed that Trump “lieutenants” have walked out of Musk meetings and questioned whether he was “high.” A lawyer representing Musk said he is regularly drug-tested through SpaceX and he’s never failed.

Rolling Stone reported that “some senior Trump administration” officials are growing “deeply annoyed” with Musk, who is regularly at cabinet meetings. Two sources told the outlet that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has become especially annoyed, referring to Musk as “Crazy Uncle Elon.”

Musk recently openly feuded with Peter Navarro, trade advisor to President Donald Trump, over imposed tariffs with the pair exchanging insults through interviews and social media.