- Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and Trump adviser, publicly clashed with tariff supporter Peter Navarro, calling him a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” on Tuesday, escalating their feud over Trump’s tariff policy.
- Navarro, senior counselor for trade, dismissed Musk as a “car assembler” on CNBC and Fox News, defending tariffs, while Musk countered that Tesla makes “the most American-made cars,” rejecting Navarro’s claims as false.
- The rift highlights Musk’s shift to opposing tariffs, warning of harm to Tesla, against Navarro’s staunch advocacy, revealing deeper tensions within Trump’s advisory circle on trade strategy.
The escalating public feud between Elon Musk and Peter Navarro, two prominent figures in President Donald Trump’s advisory circle, has laid bare a deep divide over the administration’s tariff policy, with Musk unleashing a barrage of criticism on social media. On Tuesday, Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX and a special government employee under Trump, labeled Navarro “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” in posts responding to Navarro’s CNBC remarks, where the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing dismissed Musk as a mere “car assembler” rather than a manufacturer. This clash intensified after Navarro, a staunch tariff advocate, told Fox News on Monday that Musk’s opposition stems from self-interest, asserting that “Elon sells cars” and is protecting his business, a claim Musk swiftly rebutted by highlighting Tesla’s status as having “the most American-made cars.”
Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks. @IfindRetards @RealPNavarro https://t.co/gECgtZt5Sc
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 8, 2025
Musk’s sharp rhetoric marks a significant departure from his previous silence on tariffs, reflecting a newfound willingness to challenge Trump’s trade agenda, which Navarro staunchly defends. Over the weekend, Musk had already taken aim at Navarro’s credentials, posting that “a PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing” and, in a now-deleted expletive-laden message, accusing Navarro of never having built anything. Navarro countered on Monday, telling CNBC that “we all understand in the White House” that Musk’s Tesla relies on assembling parts, a characterization Musk called “demonstrably false” on Tuesday, underscoring Tesla’s vertical integration and domestic production strengths.
This public spat reveals broader tensions within Trump’s team, as Musk’s recent posts advocate for global trade and open markets, warning that tariffs could harm Tesla, a company deeply tied to international supply chains. Navarro, meanwhile, remains a key architect of the tariff strategy, framing it as essential for American interests, a stance he reiterated on Fox News. Musk’s Tuesday tweets, fired off in quick succession, not only defend his company’s manufacturing prowess but also signal a growing rift that could influence the administration’s economic direction as tariff policies unfold.
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