Elon Musk calls White House official 'snake' amid vetting controversy

Elon Musk on Wednesday called White House personnel director Sergio Gor a "snake" after reports emerged that the official has not completed his own security clearance vetting process.

The New York Post reported that Gor, who oversees vetting for thousands of Donald Trump administration staffers, has not submitted official paperwork needed for his permanent security clearance.

"He's a snake," Musk, who left his role at the White House as head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last month, wrote on X as a reply to one X user posting the report.

Reports suggest one reason behind escalated tensions between the Tesla CEO, who then was a special government employee, and the US administration was Trump's withdrawal of Jared Isaacman's nomination for NASA administrator.

Isaacman, a Musk ally, saw his nomination pulled amid rumors that Gor influenced the decision, though this has been disputed as some Republican senators put Isaacman's history as a Democratic donor as the reason for the withdrawal.

The relationship between Trump and Musk, once marked by collaboration and mutual support, has devolved into a highly public and acrimonious feud.

The fallout began in late May, when Musk publicly criticized Trump's Congressional spending bill and later labeled it as "disgusting abomination."

The dispute escalated rapidly on social media. Trump, expressing disappointment, threatened to terminate government contracts and subsidies for Musk's companies, including SpaceX and Starlink.

Musk responded by accusing Trump of ungratefulness, even alluding to alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, which he later backstepped.

The tech billionaire also supported calls for Trump's impeachment and hinted at forming a new political party in the US.