As The Elon Musk Vs Peter Navarro Feud Escalates, the Rest of Team Trump Shrug Their Shoulders

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The Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro feud is no longer behind closed doors. It spilled into public view this week as Musk used his X platform to hurl insults at Navarro, calling him “truly a moron” and even going so far as to post, then delete, a post calling him “Peter Retarrdo.” The clash is not just personal—it’s a symptom of deeper disagreements inside the Trump administration over trade policy, especially the president’s sweeping new tariffs.

The feud began Saturday when Navarro appeared on TV and criticized Musk’s business practices, calling Tesla more of an assembler than a manufacturer. Musk responded by mocking Navarro’s Harvard credentials and attacking him over X. The situation escalated again on Tuesday, when Musk posted a video clip of Navarro and claimed his statements about Tesla were “demonstrably false.” He added that Navarro was “dumber than a sack of bricks.”

Trade War Sparks Policy Divide Between Billionaires and Bureaucrats

At the heart of the Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro battle is a fundamental disagreement over the direction of U.S. trade. Navarro is a staunch protectionist, championing Trump’s tariffs and calling for U.S. production to be fully onshore—from tires to transmissions. “We want the cars manufactured here,” he told CNBC. He accused Musk of importing too many parts from China, Japan, and Taiwan, saying Tesla’s model undermines America’s industrial core.

Musk, meanwhile, argues that the tariffs go too far and risk doing more harm than good. He claims Tesla makes the most American-made cars of any brand and says tariffs are ultimately a tax on consumers. He’s also voiced support for more free trade, recently telling Italian leaders that the U.S. and Europe should remove all trade barriers. According to insiders, Musk even made a direct appeal to Trump to scale back the policy.

Navarro has brushed off the tension, telling CNBC on Monday that “everything is good with Elon.” But Musk’s continued jabs suggest otherwise, especially after accusing Navarro of hiding behind a fictional economist, Ron Vara, in his trade books.

White House Plays Referee and Cheers From the Sidelines

Asked about the Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro feud, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a casual response that raised eyebrows. “Boys will be boys,” she said at a briefing. “We will let their public sparring continue.”

Leavitt went further, saying the clash reflected President Trump’s openness to diverse views within his circle. “It also speaks to the president’s willingness to hear from all sides,” she said, defending the chaotic style of policymaking as a deliberate feature of Trump’s leadership. One senior official put it bluntly: “The fact is, we like it.”

Still, the Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro feud has contributed to mixed messaging and internal finger-pointing as stock markets react negatively to the tariff policy. Some in the White House blame Navarro for the misleading data used in Trump’s rollout last week, while others accuse Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of taking too much credit for trying to soften the message. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is reportedly caught in the middle, acting as a liaison between Trump and corporate leaders.

A Broader Rift Inside Trump’s Circle

Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro isn’t just a personality clash—it reflects a larger divide over Trump’s vision for the economy. Musk, who once enjoyed Trump’s full trust and informal senior adviser status, finds himself increasingly isolated on tariff policy. Navarro, on the other hand, remains the face of the administration’s aggressive protectionism.

For now, the White House shows no intention of stepping in to cool the tensions in the Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro feud. Instead, Trump officials seem to embrace the conflict as part of a broader power dynamic. Musk may be the richest man in America, but on this issue, he is not the loudest voice in the room.

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