Uncategorized

‘Truly a moron’: Elon Musk escalates spat with Trump adviser Peter Navarro over tariffs

Elon Musk took another jab at President Donald Trump’s senior trade adviser Peter Navarro Tuesday, calling him a “moron” on social media as the Tesla CEO further splits from the White House’s tariffs plan.

Musk’s remarks were in response to a CNBC interview with Navarro on that aired Monday, during which the White House trade adviser discussed how Tesla’s position as a “car assembler” rather than a car manufacturer could be at odds with Trump’s tariff policies. The comments come as Trump announced widespread tariffs on a swath of countries, causing market volatility and likely increasing the cost of cars by thousands of dollars.

“In many cases, if you go to his Texas plant, a good part of the engines that he gets, which in the EV case are the batteries, come from Japan and come from China. The electronics come from Taiwan,” Navarro said.

“The difference is, in our thinking and Elon’s on this, is that we want the tires made in Akron,” he continued. “We want the transmissions made in Indianapolis. We want the engines made in Flint and Saginaw. And we want the cars manufactured here.”

Musk said Navarro “is truly a moron” in an X post replying to a video of the comments being shared on the social media platform. “What he says here is demonstrably false,” he wrote, before calling Navarro “Peter Retarrdo” in another derogatory comment.

Musk claimed “Tesla has the most American-made cars,” in another series of X posts, adding that “Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.”

“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,” he added.

Trade advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump Peter Navarro departs after U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders imposing tariffs on April 2, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Tesla has dominated Cars.com’s American-Made Index since 2021, based on criteria including assembly location, where the parts are made, engine origin, transmission origin and US manufacturing workforce. Still, Tesla isn’t immune to tariffs, a reality that Musk has acknowledged.

“The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant,” he wrote on X last month.

Musk’s Tuesday remarks come after he posted, and then deleted, a comment saying Navarro’s PhD from Harvard is a “bad thing,” and that he hasn’t “built sh*t.”

Navarro dismissed concerns over a clash with Musk on Monday, saying “everything is good with Elon, no problem.” when speaking to CNBC.

Musk has also diverged with Trump on tariffs, posting videos about free trade and saying at an Italian event he believes there should be zero tariffs between the US and Europe. The Washington Post reported Monday that Musk also made a “direct appeal” to Trump.

It’s not the first time Musk has disagreed with Trump on a policy or personnel pick. But the split over tariffs is one of the more significant differences in perspective between the president and his biggest booster and top adviser.

The White House for its part, is shrugging off Musk’s comments.

“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,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “I think it also speaks to the president’s willingness to hear from all sides that he has people at the highest levels of this government, in this White House, who have very diverse opinions on very diverse issues.”

Related Posts

Draymond Green’s Mother Is Nothing Like Tyrese Haliburton’s Dad As Embarrassing Confession Emerges

When Tyrese Haliburton’s dad stormed the court yelling at Giannis, waving a towel with his son’s face on it and shouting, “This is what we f—ing do,” it was peak…

Shaquille O’Neal Crashes ESPN Set to Hilariously Insult Future Colleague & It’s Not Stephen A. Smith

The Eastern Conference Finals were the last broadcast for Inside the NBA on TNT. The show will air on ESPN and ABC from next season after the new…

Bronny James Did Something Luka Doncic Can’t Do Publicly as LeBron James’ Loyalty Questioned

In Maui, Bronny James was living the dream. Ice cream in hand, island breeze in the background, and flanked by his dad, LeBron and younger brother Bryce, it was the…

PURGE 2: Dwayne Johnson | New Action Movie 2025 | Full Movie | 4K Ultra

Purge 2 is the new action-thriller film starring Dwayne Johnson, scheduled for release in 2025. The story is set in a future America where the “Purge” event is…

Elon Musk’s Mom Slammed For Racist Comment While Defending Him: “Just As Awful As Her Rotten Son”

Maye Musk, the outspoken mother of Elon Musk, has sparked backlash with a recent comment about a reporter’s ethnicity. The 76-year-old mother called out New York Times reporter Ryan Mac for planning…

Homeowner fined $2.8k by HOA over fence put up on own land – & threatened with losing home if she doesn’t pay in 13 days

A HOMEOWNER has claimed she was ordered to pay nearly $3,000 after she tore down a fence she alleges her HOA wrongly installed in her garden. Patricia Dean,…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *