Elon Musk has entered deeper into a dispute with Trump’s senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling him a “moron” on social media. Musk’s comments come as the Tesla CEO is facing global backlash from his association with Trump and his involvement in DOGE.
Musk’s outburst suggests that the billionaire might be experiencing the pressure of his declining Tesla stock, and his actions are sparking speculation that he could soon announce a separation from the Trump Administration.
Navarro, angering Musk, appeared in an interview stating that Tesla was a “car assembler” not a car manufacturer. “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 explained.
“The difference is, in our thinking and Elon’s on this, is that 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.”
Following the interview, Musk wrote on X, “Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Musk’s negative comments about Navarro, a member of the Trump Administration, stating that “boys will be boys.”
She added, “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.”
Navarro downplayed the seriousness of the clash, stating, “Everything is good with Elon; no problem.”
Tesla shares dropped an additional 4.9% today before the bell.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
