Tech billionaire Elon Musk has reignited tensions within the Trump administration after publicly branding Sergio Gor, the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, “a snake” on the social platform X.
Musk’s blistering critique follows reports that Gor, who oversees vetting thousands of political appointees, may not have completed his own security clearance paperwork.
Musk’s comment comes after a New York Post article questioned Gor’s vetting status, showing friction between the personnel chief’s duties and his own compliance.
Musk reacted sharply:“He’s a snake,”he wrote in response to the story.
However, White House counsel David Warrington pushed back, saying, “Mr. Gor is fully compliant with all applicable ethical and legal obligations. His security clearance is active, any insinuation he doesn’t maintain a clearance is false.”
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance praised Gor, commending his “effort to ensure committed, principled America First advocates staff the President’s government.”
The feud stems from Gor’s involvement in blocking Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA an initiative Ardently supported by Musk.
Musk and Gor first clashed in a March Cabinet meeting over agency staffing sparking friction that eventually led to Musk distancing himself from Gor.
Following Isaacman’s nom rejection, Musk began openly criticizing the White House, attacking its budget agenda and prompting Trump to warn of consequences for federal contracts.
The controversy goes deeper: Gor, whose office vets thousands of staff, reportedly delayed submitting his own SF-86, the required 100-page form for permanent clearance.
Sources say he held interim clearance but hesitated to fully comply, citing distrust of a “deep state” from his vetting draft.
Despite these concerns, the White House maintains he has “an active clearance” and has since completed the form.
