Elon Musk dominated the news agenda on Friday as he bid farewell to the White House in a joint Oval Office appearance alongside Donald Trump.
But it was the billionaire’s black eye that caught the attention of many viewers and ignited a frenzy of speculation about how he got the shiner.
Musk brushed off the injury, blaming it on roughhousing with his four-year-old son X.
However, online investigators were fast to shift blame elsewhere, suggesting a far-fetched theory that Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, might have caused Musk’s bruise.
It comes after Miller’s wife Katie announced her departure from the Trump administration to work for Musk full-time.
On social media, users highlighted the location of the bruise on Musk’s right eye and Miller being left-handed, theorizing that Miller could have been responsible for the injury by using his left hand to strike the Tesla CEO.
To add to the drama, rumors suggest a strained relationship between the two following Musk’s criticism of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, where he commented that it could sabotage the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would increase the deficit by $2.3 to $3.8 trillion over the next decade.
Elon Musk sports a black eye as he and Donald Trump hold a press conference announcing his departure from the Trump administration in the Oval Office on Friday
Stephen and Katie Miller arrive for the State Dinner at The White House honoring Australian PM Morrison on September 20, 2019 in Washington, DC
Miller using his left hand to write at an event for Make America Healthy Again on May 22
One commenter posted on X: ‘Yoo did Elon Musk get straight up punched in the face? That’s a left hook black eye if I’ve ever seen one. Might explain his delayed talk?’
One particularly incendiary post on X fanned the flames further. ‘This is a black eye delivered by someone who can’t throw a punch,’ the user wrote, suggesting it could be Stephen Miller who was responsible.
Other comments claimed that Miller was particularly upset because his wife had now left her role within DOGE to go and work for Musk.
Democrats, usually starved for headlines these days, were quick to pile on.
The official X account of the Democratic Party posted a picture of an empty hotel chair tagged simply with Miller’s handle in a cheeky nod to the latest rumor gripping Washington.
According to multiple reports, Miller, a senior DOGE adviser and spokeswoman, is exiting the Trump administration alongside Musk and will reportedly join his growing business empire full-time.
Her next role remains unconfirmed, but insiders say she is expected to work closely on Musk’s federal policy initiatives and technology projects.
Adding even more fuel, Miller was spotted in the Oval Office on Friday, standing silently by as Musk delivered farewell remarks.
There was a flurry of speculation on social media as to how Elon Musk may have received his black eye
Trump grinned broadly as he awarded Musk a ceremonial ‘Key to the White House,’ similar to one he had previously given to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
‘This is not the end of DOGE,’ Musk promised during his sendoff. ‘Only the beginning. The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time.’
Miller, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff and one of Trump’s most loyal allies, has reportedly been privately fuming.
Sources close to the matter suggest Miller is ‘deeply displeased’ with Musk’s recent public criticisms of Trump’s massive One Big Beautiful Bill.
In a CBS News interview earlier this week, Musk slammed the bill as ‘disappointing’ and claimed it ‘undermines the work of DOGE and balloons the deficit.’
Miller fired back on X, arguing that Senate rules made it impossible to cut discretionary spending significantly and accusing the Congressional Budget Office of using ‘accounting gimmicks’ to inflate deficit projections.
While Miller praised DOGE’s efforts in a separate post, insiders say his frustration with Musk has only grown, especially now that his wife is to work for Musk full-time.
Others close to the Millers insist that Katie’s move is strictly professional, noting that both she and her husband have long had close ties to Musk’s initiatives.
Democrats, usually starved for headlines these days, were quick to pile on with some humor of their own
Katie Miller, listens as U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC
Musk appeared subdued, trading his usual swagger for a quiet exit marked by whispers of tension and a cloud of rumors
Before joining DOGE, both Millers worked in the Trump administration’s first term, where they met and eventually married.
Katie Miller, who has not publicly commented on her departure, has been active on X reposting updates about Musk’s companies and ventures – a move some see as a clear signal of her next professional chapter.
It’s not the first time Musk has allegedly been involved in a West Wing fracas after former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told DailyMail.com that there was an incident when he physically ‘shoved’ 62-year-old Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after he was confronted over wild promises to save the administration ‘a trillion dollars’.
‘Scott Bessent called him out and said, ‘You promised us a trillion dollars (in cuts), and now you’re at like $100 billion, and nobody can find anything, what are you doing?” the prominent MAGA figure revealed.
‘And that’s when Elon got physical. It’s a sore subject with him. It wasn’t an argument, it was a physical confrontation. Elon basically shoved him.’
