American multi-billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly insulted Donald Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, today for the first time, revealing internal disagreements within the U.S. president’s team.
Musk, the world’s richest man, who is leading a mission to radically cut public spending on behalf of the American president, wrote two posts on his social network X, calling Peter Navarro a “jerk” and “dumb as a rock.”
Musk, a close ally of the Republican president and a major donor to his campaign, posted these comments alongside a video clip in which Navarro claims that the Tesla chief is not truly a car manufacturer but merely assembles vehicles using parts imported from Asia.
In an interview with CNBC, Navarro said that tires, engines, and other car components should be manufactured in the United States and noted that he holds a different view on the matter than Musk.
“Navarro is truly a jerk. What he says is a lie and can easily be proven. Navarro is dumb as a rock,” Musk wrote in the two posts, as reported by Beta.
The billionaire continued his posts on X by recalling media reports during Trump’s first term (2017–2021), which revealed that Navarro, in his books, cited an expert named Ron Vara — who allegedly does not exist.
According to media reports, the name Ron Vara is an anagram of Navarro’s own surname, suggesting that Navarro fabricated the expert entirely.
Musk had already, albeit more subtly, signaled his opposition to the radical protectionist policies championed by Navarro, which recently culminated in the announcement of increased tariffs on nearly all countries around the world.
Media outlets have previously reported tensions between Musk and other members of Trump’s administration. Trump continues to support Musk but recently stated that Musk’s role in the U.S. administration would not last forever.
