Elon Musk fired back hard at Peter Navarro after the former Trump trade advisor called him a glorified “car assembler” on CNBC.
Navarro had blasted Musk for relying too much on foreign parts. He claimed the White House wanted tires, engines, and transmissions made in the U.S. — not imported. That didn’t sit well with Musk.
The Tesla CEO lit up X with insults. He called Navarro “dumber than a sack of bricks” and a “moron.” Musk wasn’t done there.
“Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false,” Musk posted.
Navarro had said, “He’s not a car manufacturer. He’s a car assembler.” He pointed to Tesla’s batteries from Japan and China, electronics from Taiwan, and said, “We want the tires made in Akron… transmissions in Indianapolis… engines in Flint and Saginaw.”
Musk shot back by linking a Kelley Blue Book study that showed Tesla has the most American-made cars. He tagged Navarro’s X account and even looped in @IfindRetards, an account known for mocking bad takes.
“By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content,” Musk said. He added Navarro should “ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara.”
Navarro’s comments came while Trump’s team defends steep tariffs — especially on China. Musk, however, has taken a different path, urging less restriction and more free trade.
Earlier this week, Musk posted a video of economist Milton Friedman explaining how international supply chains work. On Saturday, Musk also talked trade with Italy’s deputy prime minister, pushing for a U.S.-Europe free-trade zone.
The clash exposed a deep split within Trump’s circle. Navarro has always backed protectionist policies. Musk clearly hasn’t.
Musk didn’t just take aim at Navarro’s ideas. He mocked his Harvard PhD, saying it was “a bad thing, not a good thing.”
When someone defended Navarro, Musk clapped back, “he ain’t built shit” — though that post was later deleted.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shrugged it off. “Whatever,” she told CNBC. “We are the most transparent administration in history, expressing our disagreements in public.”
So far, Navarro hasn’t replied to Musk’s tirade.