“Tesla has the most American-made cars,” Musk posted, adding, “Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.” He further defended Tesla’s US credentials by stating it is “the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content.”
Musk also mocked Navarro’s past fabrication of a fictional trade expert, “Ron Vara” (an anagram of Navarro), saying, “Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented.”
The comments followed Navarro’s appearance on CNBC, where he criticised Tesla’s global supply chain: “He’s not a car manufacturer. He’s a car assembler… A good part of the engines — the batteries — come from Japan and China. Electronics come from Taiwan.” He claimed that true American manufacturing meant making engines in Flint, transmissions in Indianapolis, and tires in Akron.This wasn’t the first jab.
Musk had earlier dismissed Navarro’s academic credentials, remarking that “a PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing,” and blaming elite economists for economic disasters throughout history.
Navarro responded on Fox News, doubling down on his criticism: “Elon is just protecting his own interests. We want cars and parts made in America — not just assembled.”
The tension comes amid former President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, which include a baseline 10% levy on all imports. Musk, in contrast, has publicly pushed for zero tariffs between the US and Europe, proposing a free-trade zone and more unrestrained labour movement — ideas he says he’s personally shared with Trump.
While Navarro argues that tariffs protect national interests, Musk counters that open markets and zero-tariff policies will benefit the US in the long run, especially in innovation-driven sectors like electric vehicles.
First Published: Apr 9, 2025 7:54 AM IS
