Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reignited tensions with the Trump administration, publicly mocking senior trade adviser Peter Navarro amid a fierce debate over US trade tariffs.
Musk slammed Navarro as “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” after the adviser criticized Tesla’s manufacturing practices during a television interview.
The clash erupted after Navarro, speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, downplayed Tesla’s role in American manufacturing by suggesting the company is “not a car manufacturer” but merely “a car assembler” due to its use of imported parts.
PETER NAVARRO ON ELON MUSK: “We all understand in the White House (and the American people understand) that Elon’s a car manufacturer. But he’s not a car manufacturer — He’s a car assembler. In many cases, if you go to his Texas plant, a good part of the engines that he gets
Musk wasted no time firing back on X (formerly Twitter), defending Tesla’s credentials and blasting Navarro’s comments. “Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false,” Musk posted.
He later doubled down, adding, “Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.”
Elon Musk rips ‘moron’ Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro: ‘Dumber than a sack of bricks’ trib.al/81n087w
The billionaire entrepreneur further emphasized Tesla’s deep roots in US manufacturing, asserting, “By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America, with the highest percentage of US content.”
Elon Musk is big mad at Peter Navarro. 🍿
Musk also ridiculed Navarro’s past controversies, referencing the fictitious “Ron Vara” persona Navarro reportedly used in his academic work, quipping, “Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara.”
The very public feud sheds light on growing divisions between Musk’s advocacy for free trade and the Trump camp’s protectionist policies, particularly as the US ramps up new tariffs expected to impact companies heavily reliant on global supply chains like Tesla.
Over the weekend, Musk continued his attacks, questioning Navarro’s academic background and joking that holding a Harvard degree might be “a bad thing, not a good thing.”
Navarro, for his part, accused Musk of caring only about his “own self-interest.”
‘Boys will be boys’: White House brushes off Musk-Navarro spat
Attempting to play down the controversy, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNBC:
“We are the most transparent administration in history expressing our disagreements in public,” dismissing the Musk-Navarro exchange with a curt “whatever.”
“Look, these are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and on tariffs,” Leavitt told reporters at a briefing when asked about the spat between the Trump administration colleagues.
“Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue,” she said.
While former President Donald Trump reportedly made the final call on the latest wave of tariffs, Navarro is widely believed to have been instrumental in shaping the policy, which could pose challenges for companies like Tesla that rely on international suppliers.
Musk, who previously expressed support for Trump, has become increasingly critical of broad-based tariffs, warning they could harm American innovation and competitiveness.
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