Trading Jabs About The Trade War: Elon Musk Bashes Peter Navarro As Tariff Tiff Divides Trump Allies
Elon Musk went off on Donald Trump‘s top trade adviser Peter Navarro, as the latter figure dismissed the billionaire’s criticism of a chief architect of the administration’s tariff policy.
On his X platform, Musk called Navarro “a moron,” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” and “Peter Retardo.” He also mocked Navarro over claims that he had created a fake expert, Ron Vara.
Earlier on CNBC, Navarro was not a car manufacturer, but a “car assembler,” arguing that Tesla relies on batteries from Japan and China, and the electronics come from Taiwan.
“We want the tires made in Akron. We want the transmissions made in Indianapolis. We want the engines made in Flint and Saginaw, and we want the cars manufactured here,” Navarro said.
Musk responded, “By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content. Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara.”
According to The Washington Post, Musk has tried to talk Trump out of the tariff plan, while he has posted a video to X in which late economist Milton Friedman talks up the benefits of trade deals. Musk also has talked of a free trade zone between Europe and the United States.
