(AFP) – Donald Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro on Sunday insisted that “everything’s fine with Elon” Musk, after the Tesla chief called him a “moron.” Musk, who as a fellow member of the American president’s inner circle was charged with government cost-cutting, has clashed with Navarro over the tariffs broadside the president unleashed that reflects his antagonistic view of global trade.
Navarro is “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks,” Musk posted to his X social platform last week during a spat over the American parts content in Tesla vehicles. He later dubbed the Trump advisor “Peter Retarrdo” in a separate post.
“I’ve been called worse. Everything’s fine with Elon,” Navarro told broadcaster NBC on Sunday. “Elon is doing a very good job with his team with waste, fraud and abuse. That’s a tremendous contribution to America,” he added of Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting through his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Navarro had taken aim at Tesla after the billionaire Musk, who also owns SpaceX, proposed a free-trade zone between the US and Europe. The economist claimed Tesla mostly assembled components like batteries and motors shipped in from factories in Asia. Those are exactly the types of jobs Trump says his trade offensive is designed to bring back to America.
Musk retorted with studies he said showed “Tesla has the most American-made cars.” “Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara,” he added — referring to a fictional pundit Navarro quoted in a series of books and a policy memo, using an anagram of his own name.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt tried last week to play down the public feud, saying that “boys will be boys and we will let their public sparring continue.”
© 2024 AFP
