Elon Musk has sharply criticized Peter Navarro, President Donald Trump’s former trade adviser, calling him a “moron” in response to Navarro’s recent comments about his electric vehicle company, Tesla.
Musk, who also has ties to the Trump administration, took to X (formerly Twitter) to blast Navarro, accusing him of being “dumber than a sack of bricks” after the trade adviser described Musk’s business as one of “car assembly” rather than actual manufacturing.
Navarro’s remarks were made during an interview in which he criticized Musk’s role in the US automotive industry. Speaking about Trump’s tariffs and their impact on US manufacturing, Navarro claimed, “[He’s] not a car manufacturer. He’s a car assembler, in many cases.” He also expressed a desire to see more American-made car parts in the future.
Musk, who has previously indicated his opposition to certain White House trade policies, fired back, calling Navarro’s statements about Tesla “demonstrably false.”
This public feud represents one of the most visible disagreements between Trump’s trade team and Musk, the world’s richest man, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) — a body focused on reducing the size and expenditure of the US government.
When asked about the spat between Musk and Navarro during a press briefing, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt downplayed the confrontation, stating, “These are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and on tariffs.” She added with a smile, “Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue.”
Trump has justified his aggressive tariff strategy, arguing that it is necessary to revive US manufacturing. Navarro echoed this sentiment during his appearance on CNBC on Monday, saying, “If you look at our auto industry, right, we’re an assembly line for German engines and transmissions right now. We’re going to get to a place where America makes stuff again, real wages are going to be up, profits are going to be up.”
In his response, Musk linked to a 2023 article from Kelley Blue Book, citing findings from Cars.com that Tesla vehicles had the most components produced in the US. He followed up with a post on X, stating, “By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content.”
Technology analyst Dan Ives agreed that Tesla has less exposure to tariffs compared to other US automakers like GM, Ford, and Stellantis. However, he also pointed out that Tesla sources a significant portion of its parts from outside the US, particularly China. “The tariffs in their current form will disrupt Tesla, the overall supply chain, and its global footprint, which has been a clear advantage over rising competitors like BYD,” Ives said.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at Yale School of Management, added that Musk’s stance reflects the frustrations of many American CEOs, though most are hesitant to publicly criticize Trump’s trade policies. He pointed to a survey taken during a recent executive gathering in Washington, where 79% of CEOs said they were “embarrassed” by the tariffs in front of international partners, and 89% said the policy was “needlessly taking us into a recession.”
Musk, even before this row with Navarro, had expressed his dissatisfaction with Trump’s tariff strategy. Just days ago, Musk posted a video of the economist Milton Friedman, a well-known opponent of tariffs, in which he extolled the benefits of a free market.
Trump’s tariffs have had widespread effects, including contributing to global stock market declines as investors worry about shrinking profits for companies worldwide. Musk himself acknowledged the potential disruptions to his own business, posting on X in late March that Tesla wouldn’t be immune from tariff-related challenges.
Bill Ackman, another prominent Trump supporter and billionaire fund manager, has also urged a pause on the tariffs, warning of “major global economic disruption.” He argued that the current tariff policies would cause “unnecessary harm.”
Peter Navarro, a staunch loyalist to Trump, played a key role in designing the president’s tariff strategy. He was jailed for contempt of Congress after ignoring a subpoena from a House committee investigating the Trump administration’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
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