Tesla CEO Elon Musk has harshly criticized Peter Navarro, a senior White House trade adviser, calling him a “real idiot” and a “stupid” rather than a bag of bricks in response to recent comments about Tesla’s manufacturing practices.
The conflict marks a deepening rift in President Donald Trump’s escalating tariff policies – Musk has repeatedly expressed concern despite his close ties to the administration.
Navarro recently downplayed Tesla’s role in U.S. manufacturing, claiming that electric car companies are not “auto manufacturers” but only “auto-car assemblers.” He believes Tesla relies heavily on imported components such as batteries, electronics and tires, which shows Musk’s support for the use of “cheap external parts.”
Peter Navarro at Elon Musk:
“We are all in the White House (and the American people understand) Elon is a car manufacturer. But he is not a car manufacturer — he is a car assembly.
In many cases, if you go to his Texas plant, then he gets a large portion of the engine… pic.twitter.com/mkp1wrgcvx
– Ron Fear (@mrp) April 8, 2025
In response, Musk posted X (formerly Twitter) on a video clip of Navarro’s remarks, noting:
“Tesla has the most cars. Navarro is a fool with a bag of bricks.”
Musk has long advocated for a free trade zone between North America and Europe, an idea in stark contrast to Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy.
Despite growing criticism of some corners of the Republican Party and China’s retaliation measures, President Trump remains firm in his trade stance and ruled out any rollback to tariffs.
