BY PC Bureau
A fiery clash erupted between Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, and Peter Navarro, President Donald Trump’s trade advisor Tuesday, April 8, 2025, igniting a heated war of words that unfolded both in interviews and across social media.
The feud kicked off when Navarro took a sharp jab at Musk’s electric vehicle empire during a televised interview, dismissing the tech mogul’s credentials and labeling him a mere “car assembler” rather than a true manufacturer. Navarro’s critique hinged on the fact that Tesla’s U.S.-built vehicles rely heavily on components sourced from overseas, including countries like China, Japan, and Taiwan.
“When it comes to tariffs and trade, we all understand in the White House—and the American people get it too—that Elon’s a car manufacturer, but not really,” Navarro sneered, leaning into his point with a smug tone. “He’s a car assembler. He’s piecing together parts from all over the world, and that’s just the reality.”
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The comment struck a nerve with Musk, who wasted no time unleashing a blistering counterattack on X, his social media platform of choice. “Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks,” Musk fired off, his words dripping with disdain. “This guy is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false, and he’s too thick to see it.”
Musk didn’t stop at i
Peter Navarro fires back at Musk’s tariff jab
‘He doesn’t understand that… he sells cars. That’s what he does’ pic.twitter.com/oTe1FQPdG4
— RT (@RT_com) April 6, 2025
nsults—he backed up his rebuttal with hard data, pointing to a 2023 Cars.com study that ranked Tesla as a standout in American-made vehicles. The study placed four Tesla models—led by the Model 3 and Model Y—among the top 10 most domestically produced cars, outpacing competitors like the Honda Passport, Volkswagen ID.4, and Honda Odyssey. Notably, the “Big Three” American auto giants—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—lagged behind, their rankings dragged down by their own reliance on imported parts.
Musk’s post sparked a flurry of reactions on X. Supporters rallied behind him, with one user writing, “Elon’s out here building the future while Navarro’s stuck in the past—typical.” Critics, however, seized the chance to poke holes in Musk’s defense. “Tesla’s still using Chinese batteries, though—Navarro’s not entirely wrong,” another user shot back. The debate quickly snowballed, with Musk doubling down: “By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of U.S. content. Navarro’s just parroting nonsense.”
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The latest 2024 Cars.com rankings, however, added a layer of nuance to the spat. While Tesla’s Model Y clinched the top spot as the most American-made vehicle, the Honda Passport climbed to number two, followed by the Volkswagen ID.4 at three, Tesla’s Model S at four, and the Honda Odyssey rounding out the top five. The study’s methodology, which counts parts from both the U.S. and Canada as “domestic,” drew scrutiny from some observers. Frank DuBois, an associate professor of information technology and analytics at American University and the study’s author, confirmed Tesla’s reliance on Chinese components, particularly for batteries, even as the company produces motors and batteries stateside. “They’re a mixed bag,” DuBois noted in an email. “Tesla’s doing more in the U.S. than most, but they’re not immune to global supply chains.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk: Elon Musk vs Peter Navarro feud escalates: Tesla CEO calls Trump trade adviser 'm***n, dumber than bricks' – The Economic Times https://t.co/KDjzYzJxp5
— Preston Padden (@BoulderPreston) April 8, 2025
Navarro, unfazed by Musk’s rebuttals, shrugged off the Tesla CEO’s protests in a follow-up statement. “He’s a car person—that’s his world,” Navarro said dismissively. “He wants those cheap foreign parts to keep his assembly line humming. It’s understandable, but it doesn’t change the facts.” The trade advisor’s dig at Musk’s motives only poured fuel on the fire, prompting another furious response from the billionaire. “Cheap parts? Navarro’s clueless,” Musk snapped on X. “Tesla’s about innovation, not cutting corners. He wouldn’t know vertical integration if it hit him in the face.”
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