Tech billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro have taken their disagreement over US tariff policies public, exchanging heated words that have caught national attention.
The spat began after Navarro, a key architect of Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed on various trading partners, dismissed Musk’s proposal for “zero tariffs” between the United States and Europe. Speaking on CNBC on Monday, Navarro referred to Musk as a “car assembler” reliant on imported parts, suggesting that Tesla should manufacture more components locally in the U.S.
Musk didn’t hold back in his response. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he fired back, “Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false. Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.”
The exchange escalated when, on Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt was asked about the public feud. She downplayed the tension, saying, “Look, these are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and on tariffs. Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue.”
The tariffs, intended to revive U.S. manufacturing and bolster national security, have led to market volatility and concerns over potential impacts on global supply chains. Analysts are debating whether these policies could steer the United States toward a recession.
Despite the serious implications of the tariff policies, the public feud between Musk and Navarro highlights the deep divisions within the U.S. over trade strategies and the future of manufacturing.
