‘He Doesn’t Understand’: Trump Trade Advisor Peter Navarro Fires Back at Elon Musk Attacking Him on Tariffs
Peter Navarro — senior counselor on manufacturing and trade to President Donald Trump — fired back after Elon Musk attacked him over tariffs.
In an interview on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures, Navarro argued Musk’s self-interests as CEO of Tesla are driving his apparent skepticism about tariffs.
“Every country around the world cheats us,” Navarro said. “But it’s like fingerprints — they all do it in different ways. But it all comes down to the non-tariff cheating. It was interesting to hear Elon Musk at the beginning talk about a zero-tariff zone with Europe. He doesn’t understand that. And the thing that’s, I think, important about Elon to understand, he sells cars. That’s what he does.”
Host Jackie DeAngelis — filling in for Maria Bartiromo — brought up the comments on X by Musk in which he went after Navarro.
“He ain’t built shit,” Musk said of Navarro.
The Fox News host questioned whether there is a fissure inside the White House.
“[Musk] took a shot at you personally on X, and he’s going against the administration with respect to the tariff policy,” DeAngelis said. “The president has said in the coming months he may leave the administration. Peter, is there a rift internally?”
Navarro denied the existence of a rift — but also dismissed his criticism completely.
“No, I mean, look, Elon, when he’s in his DOGE lane, he’s great,” Navarro said. “But we understand what’s going on here. We just have to understand Elon sells cars and he’s, in Texas, assembling cars that have big parts of that car from Mexico, China, the batteries come from Japan or China, The electronics come from Taiwan. And he’s simply protecting his own interests as any business person would do. We’re more concerned about Detroit building Cadillacs with American engines. And that’s what this is all about. So it’s fine, there’s no rift here. Look, Elon, he’s got X, he got a big microphone. We don’t mind him saying whatever he wants, but just the American people need to understand that we understand what that’s all about, and it’s fine. It’s fine.”
Watch above, via Fox News.
