Elon Musk hits back at Trump’s trade adviser after he made savage Tesla comments
Elon Musk brands President Trump's top advisor a 'fool' following criticism about Tesla manufacturing practices.** Peter Navarro, who serves as the president's chief advisor on trade and manufacturing matters, publicly urged the wealthiest individual on the planet to manufacture all components of his electric vehicles within American borders instead of reducing expenses by sourcing parts from overseas countries. The Tesla chief executive responded harshly to the 75-year-old's demand, using his own social media platform, Twitter, to criticize the former inmate - who completed a four-month prison sentence in January last year for refusing to comply with Congress regarding the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021.
"Navarro is genuinely a fool. His statement here is provably untrue," Musk retorted. The technology tycoon proceeded to assert that his company produces the "most American-made vehicles" compared to other manufacturers like Ford, before adding: "Navarro has less intelligence than a bundle of sticks."
On Monday (April 8), White House representative Karoline Leavitt downplayed the conflict between the two men as "gentlemen behaving like gentlemen" when questioned by journalists. "These are clearly two individuals with vastly different perspectives on trade and tariffs," she explained. "Men will act like men, and we will allow their public disagreement to proceed," Leavitt stated.
What exactly prompted this exchange? Navarro's remarks occurred during a CNBC interview discussing Trump's comprehensive tariff strategy, which he helped shape.
"Regarding tariffs and trade, everyone in the White House understands, as do American citizens, that Elon runs a car company - but he's not truly manufacturing cars, in many instances he's merely assembling them," Navarro told the network. "If you visit his Texas facility, many of the engines he uses, which for electric vehicles means batteries, come from Japan and China. The electronic components originate from Taiwan."
"The distinction between our thinking and Elon's is that we want tires produced in Akron [Ohio], transmissions built in Indianapolis [Indiana], engines created in Flint and Saginaw [both Michigan], and vehicles fully manufactured here."
Navarro elaborated: "It resembles the business model where BMW and Mercedes establish operations in Spartanburg, South Carolina, having Americans assemble German engines and Austrian transmissions. That approach fails America - it damages our economy and weakens our national security. We want complete manufacturing here."
"With Elon, we accept his position as an automobile expert - that's his business area. He prefers affordable overseas components, and we recognize that preference, but we desire his full operation on American soil. We want his complete business here for our country's defense capabilities, financial stability, and overall prosperity with Elon."
