Elon Musk Slams Trump Adviser Amid Explosive Tariff Feud
So here’s what’s going on right now—Elon Musk and Trump’s senior trade adviser, Peter Navarro, are in an all-out public spat, and honestly, it’s getting wild. Musk didn’t just push back quietly on Navarro’s claims about Tesla—he called him a “moron” and said he’s “dumber than a sack of bricks.” Yeah, that happened.
It all started when Navarro did an interview on CNBC, criticizing Tesla’s manufacturing model, suggesting that Tesla isn't as American-made as it seems. He basically implied that Musk’s company is more of a "car assembler" than a true manufacturer, pointing fingers at Tesla’s reliance on battery components from Asia. Navarro painted this picture where “real” American manufacturing should mean tires from Akron, transmissions from Indy, engines from Flint—very old-school, Rust Belt energy.
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Musk was not having it. On X (formerly Twitter), he unleashed a series of fiery posts defending Tesla’s practices. He flat-out said what Navarro claimed was "demonstrably false" and then followed it up by calling him “Peter Retarrdo”—a derogatory jab that’s already sparked backlash. Musk doubled down by asserting Tesla makes the most American-made cars out there, pointing to its long-standing dominance in the Cars.com American-Made Index.
But this clash is about way more than just words. It underscores a deep policy divide. Trump’s new wave of tariffs is causing serious market jitters, potentially adding thousands to the price of vehicles—including Teslas. Meanwhile, Musk has been advocating for zero tariffs between the US and Europe, stressing the value of free trade. That’s a pretty major split from Trump’s protectionist stance.
Interestingly, Navarro didn’t escalate further when asked about it. He said “everything is good with Elon, no problem,” brushing it off as if nothing happened. The White House, for its part, is treating the feud like a boys-will-be-boys situation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt even said the president appreciates having diverse opinions in the administration.
So what does this all mean? It's another sign of Musk distancing himself from Trump’s economic playbook. And while Musk may have once been one of Trump’s few tech-world allies, this tariff issue is clearly where their paths diverge in a big way.
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