Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and new head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), got into a public fight with Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to President Donald Trump.
It started when Navarro said Tesla just puts cars together instead of making them. He also pushed for auto parts to come from the US in the future.
TESLA EXPOSES NAVARRO LIE: MOST AMERICAN-MADE CARS IN U.S. ARE ALL ELON’S
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 8, 2025
Peter Navarro went on a rant claiming Elon "just assembles" Teslas with parts from Japan and China.
According to Cars . com’s official American-Made Index, the top 4 most American-made cars are all… https://t.co/swcxuiaagz pic.twitter.com/8WUMvlaEn5
Musk fired back on X, calling Navarro a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.” He said Navarro’s claims don’t hold up, and
“Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false.”
Musk’s Argument
Musk pointed to a 2023 Kelley Blue Book article to show Tesla has more US-made parts than any other car company. He said Tesla builds most of its own stuff, making it the top vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America.
This spat ties into a larger argument about trade. Musk doesn’t like the White House’s tariffs. Navarro, who helps Trump with trade and growth plans, backs them. A White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, brushed it off, saying,
“Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue.”
REPORTER: "Musk actually referred to Navarro today as, 'dumber than a sack of bricks.'"
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 8, 2025
KAROLINE LEAVITT: "Boys will be boys & we will let their public sparring continue."
As it should!
pic.twitter.com/K1pAuiioOy
What Experts Say
Dan Ives, a tech analyst, said Tesla gets a lot of parts from China. Tariffs could throw a wrench in its supply chain and hurt profits.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld from Yale School of Management shared survey results from a CEO event he ran with the BBC. He found 79% of CEOs feel ashamed on the world stage because of current policies. And 89% think these policies could push the economy into a recession. That’s a big worry for businesses.
Economic Fallout
Trump’s tariffs are already shaking up global stock markets. Company profits, including Tesla’s, are taking a hit. Musk posted a video of economist Milton Friedman explaining why tariffs can backfire.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 7, 2025
Bill Ackman, a billionaire investor, chimed in too. He wants tariffs paused to avoid a major economic mess worldwide.
Navarro’s history adds fuel to this fire. He’s a die-hard Trump supporter and did time for dodging a subpoena tied to the January 6 Capitol riot probe. That’s made some question his judgment.
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