1 week Ago By Sarah Tetteh
The apparent rift between Elon Musk - who has been warned his days in the US government could be numbered - and the Trump administration, which could have been dealt a blow with a strategic EU, China decision , trade adviser Peter Navarro was brief but fiery. During an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker on Sunday, Peter addressed their recent clash. He responded to Elon's online barbs, including a tweet where Musk labeled Navarro "dumber than a sack of bricks.
" Despite the harsh words, the government official took a surprisingly laid-back approach to their disagreement, asserting on Sunday's Meet the Press that his rapport with the Tesla owner - whose products have come under attack and boycott in recent weeks - remains unshaken. Peter downplayed the conflict, stating: "Elon and I are great." Supreme Court green lights Donald Trump's firings of independent agency board members TSA reveals 11 new carry-on items you can take at any size - here's the full list He continued: "I've been called worse.
Everything's fine with Elon. And look, Elon is doing a very good job with his team with waste, fraud and abuse. That's a tremendous contribution to America, and no man doing that kind of thing should be subject to having his cars firebombed by crazies.
". While Welker invited him to discuss the Trump administration's stance on trade and tariffs, the conversation inevitably turned to Navarro's public spat with Musk. The drama unfolded last week when, during a CNBC segment, Peter belittled Musk's contributions as a car manufacturer, suggesting that Tesla is just a "car assembler" dependent on foreign components, reports the Irish Star .
Musk wrote back on X, slamming Navarro with a double dose of insults after a video surfaced of Navarro's commentary. "Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false," Musk retorted.
Not finished there, Musk dropped another bombshell, declaring: "Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks." The conflict between them ignited when the White House advisor faced tough questions on CNBC regarding Musk's advocacy for lower trade barriers, contradicting former President Trump's tariff tactic.
"We all understand in the White House, and the American people understand, that Elon's a car manufacturer," stated Navarro during the televised conversation. Pushing further, he disputed Musk's role saying: "But he's not a car manufacturer, he's a car assembler in many cases." Navarro outlined his perspective, recognizing how naturally Musk would have concerns about the tariff strategy since Tesla sources parts for its vehicles from Japan, China, and Taiwan – all countries facing significant tariffs.
"The difference is, in our thinking and Elon's on this, is that we want the tires made in Akron," elaborated Navarro. He went on to assert: "We want the transmissions made in Indianapolis," adding emphasis on local production. To cap off, he affirmed, "We want the engines made in Flint and Saginaw.
And we want the cars manufactured here." The interview appeared to infuriate the SpaceX mogul, who took to X to vent his frustration, labeling Navarro with a series of insults. "Navarro is truly a moron.
What he says here is demonstrably false," Musk posted. The tycoon further claimed that Tesla "has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.
" He then mockingly apologized, adding that the comparison was "so unfair to bricks.".
