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Following reports that Elon Musk attempted to push President Trump to reconsider his rollout of global tariffs, Musk is now openly feuding with Trump’s top trade adviser.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, The Washington Post recently reported that Elon Musk made multiple personal appeals to President Trump in an effort to discourage him from implementing his rollout of “reciprocal” global tariffs. According to WP, Musk reached out directly over the weekend before the tariff rollout, urging Trump to reconsider the move due to its potential to destabilize international markets and harm American businesses — including Tesla. Despite Musk’s efforts, which included both private communications and public statements advocating for a “zero-tariff” trade zone with Europe, Trump ultimately dismissed the advice and moved forward with the tariffs.
What’s going on now: After Musk’s push was rejected by President Trump, a feud has now broken out between Elon Musk and Trump’s top trade adviser, Peter Navarro. The clash began when Navarro downplayed Musk’s role in the US auto industry during a CNBC interview, saying, “Elon’s a car manufacturer, but he’s not a car manufacturer. He’s a car assembler, in many cases,” citing Tesla’s reliance on parts sourced from countries like Japan, China, and Taiwan. Navarro added, “We want the tires made in Akron. We want the transmissions made in Indianapolis. We want the engines made in Flint and Saginaw… and we want the cars manufactured here.“
Musk fired back with a series of posts on X, saying, “Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false.” He went on to mock Navarro’s academic credentials, writing, “A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains >> 1 problem.” In another since-deleted post, Musk added, “He ain’t built shit,” and claimed that Tesla “has the most American-made cars,” calling Navarro “dumber than a sack of bricks.”
Navarro, for his part, attempted to defuse the situation publicly, telling Fox News that “everything is good with Elon” and that Musk was “just protecting his own interests as any business person would do.” Still, he took another swipe at Musk’s position on trade, saying, “It was interesting to hear Elon Musk at the beginning talk about a zero-tariff zone with Europe. He doesn’t understand that… He sells cars. That’s what he does.”
The White House chimes in: During the White House Press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the ongoing feud. She said, “Look, these are obviously two different individuals that have very different views on trade and tariffs…. Boys will be boys.“
