WATCH: Trump Smacks Down ‘Troublemaker’ Reporter In The Oval Office

President Trump wasted no time shutting down NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez after the reporter attempted to stir controversy in the Oval Office, pushing a narrative that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had clashed with tech billionaire Elon Musk.

During a press event focused on the upcoming FIFA World Cup, Gutierrez tried to press Trump on reports of a heated exchange between Rubio and Musk during a Cabinet meeting. The president, unimpressed with the line of questioning, quickly dismissed the claim as more fake News.

“There was no clash. I was there. You’re just a troublemaker,” Trump shot back at Gutierrez, who continued pressing. “And you’re not supposed to be asking that question because we’re talking about the World Cup,” Trump continued, refusing to take the bait.

He said that both Musk and Rubio were “doing a fantastic job” and “get along great.”

When Gutierrez persisted, Trump cut him off: “Who are you with? Who are you with? Oh, no wonder. That’s enough. NBC.” He then redirected the press conference back to its intended focus.

WATCH:

Gutierrez’s question stemmed from a New York Times report claiming Rubio and Musk had a tense back-and-forth during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. According to the Times, Musk had criticized Rubio for not firing more State Department staff and accused him of being “only good on TV.” Rubio, reportedly, was outraged.

The meeting, chaired by President Trump, was a reportedly a display of frustrations with Musk’s approach to streamlining government operations.

Musk, who has gained influence with his overhaul on government efficiency, directly accused Rubio of ineffectiveness. According to The Times, he criticized Rubio for not reducing his staff, to which Rubio responded by highlighting over 1,500 early retirements in the State Department, sarcastically questioning whether Musk expected him to rehire and fire them for spectacle.

The Times reported:

Mr. Musk was not being truthful, Mr. Rubio said. What about the more than 1,500 State Department officials who took early retirement in buyouts? Didn’t they count as layoffs? He asked, sarcastically, whether Mr. Musk wanted him to rehire all those people just so he could make a show of firing them again. Then he laid out his detailed plans for reorganizing the State Department.

Mr. Musk was unimpressed. He told Mr. Rubio he was “good on TV,” with the clear subtext being that he was not good for much else. Throughout all of this, the president sat back in his chair, arms folded, as if he were watching a tennis match.

After the argument dragged on for an uncomfortable time, Mr. Trump finally intervened to defend Mr. Rubio as doing a “great job.” Mr. Rubio has a lot to deal with, the president said. He is very busy, he is always traveling and on TV, and he has an agency to run. So everyone just needs to work together.

The meeting marked a critical moment early in Trump’s second term, signaling for the first time that the president might impose constraints on Musk. Despite the claims, Trump made it clear that no such drama was unfolding inside his administration.