"Car Assemblers" and "Fools"... Trump Allies Clash Over Tariffs

Two key aides to U.S. President Donald Trump are escalating conflicts by expressing differing views on tariff policies.

Peter Navarro, White House Trade and Manufacturing Advisor (left), and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

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On the 8th (local time), Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, posted on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing Peter Navarro, the White House trade and manufacturing advisor in the Trump administration, calling him a "fool" and saying "what he says is clearly wrong."

Musk's remarks came in response to Navarro's recent appearance on CNBC, where he stated, "We all know Musk is a car manufacturer, but he is not a car manufacturer; he is a car assembler. He wants cheap foreign parts," claiming that most of Tesla's electric vehicle parts come from Japan, China, and other countries.

Musk posted on X that Tesla was selected by the U.S. automotive information site Kelley Blue Book as the "most American-made car" in 2023 based on assembly location, parts and engine origin, and labor, adding, "Tesla is the most American-made car. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks."

He also said, "By any definition, Tesla is the most vertically integrated automaker in the U.S. with the highest American content," adding, "Navarro should ask Ron Vara, the fake expert he made up." This refers to the controversy in 2019 when it was revealed that 'Ron Vara,' an expert Navarro cited in several books to support his tariff theories, was a fictional character who does not exist in reality.

Earlier, on the 5th, Musk posted on X that Navarro's Harvard Ph.D. in economics was "not a good thing but a bad thing," expressing a negative stance on Navarro's tariff theories. After Navarro publicly disparaged Musk by calling him a "car assembler," Musk retaliated, deepening the conflict between the two.

The U.S. political media outlet Politico reported on the sharp exchanges between the two, noting, "The rift between Musk and Navarro, which has gradually escalated over the past few days, hints at possible internal strife among those closest to President Trump."

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt dismissed the dispute during a press briefing, saying Musk and Navarro are "two individuals with very different views on trade and tariffs," and that the argument between them is not a big deal. She added, "Boys will be boys. We'll let them argue publicly."

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