Steve Bannon Challenges Elon Musk to CPAC Debate Over Trump Agenda

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Alex Jane
February 11, 2025
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7 minutes read

Steve Hirsch/Pool/Reuters

Longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging tech billionaire Elon Musk to a no-holds-barred debate at the next Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). During a discussion on his War Room show with CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp, Bannon accepted the idea of a public showdown, further highlighting the growing ideological divide within Trump’s conservative coalition.

“We air all grievances at CPAC … let’s talk about it and get it on the stage,” Schlapp said. “I really want the Elon Musk/Steve Bannon debate, but I haven’t been able to pull that together yet, but I think that could be a — that could be one for the ages, Steve. What do you think?” “I’m all in, 1,000 percent,” Bannon responded enthusiastically.

“You pull it off, I’m good, let’s roll. Let’s roll. But that — there’s nothing to debate. I think Elon would admit he’s wrong and I’m right, but that’s okay.” The tension between Musk and Bannon stems from a rift within Trump’s base, particularly over immigration policies. Musk has publicly pushed for high-skilled immigration to fill tech industry positions, a stance that has enraged pro-Trump nativists who oppose expanding work visas, particularly for Indian tech workers.

Last month, Bannon took direct aim at Musk, labeling him a “truly evil person” who prioritizes his business interests over the MAGA movement. Despite their differences, Bannon acknowledged Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, which claims to be investigating government waste.

He called it “an armor-piercing shell” that could be used to dismantle federal bureaucracy, a long-standing goal of his own. “But I’m the one saying, Elon, you got to get across the river if we’re to have any cuts,” Bannon argued. “Matt, you know, you’ve struggled for this for 15 years — if we’re to have any cuts, it’s going to have to be somebody like Elon that goes to the Pentagon and says, these are the programs we can take down, and once we get the Pentagon sorted you can get the social programs.”

Bannon even suggested that Musk’s team should provide an update on DOGE at CPAC, predicting it would send the media into a frenzy. “By the way, I think it’d be amazing if not to get a DOGE update from some of his guys,” Bannon said. “I think it would be incredible.

That’d be a global media event. They would all — they would melt down if DOGE took the stage.” Whether Musk will accept Bannon’s debate challenge remains to be seen, but the growing ideological divide among Trump allies is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.