White House Adviser Dismisses Musk as Just a “Car Assembler”
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro downplayed Elon Musk’s criticisms of U.S. tariff policy, suggesting the billionaire Tesla CEO is merely assembling vehicles—not building them—and lacks real understanding of trade policy.
“When it comes to tariffs and trade, a lot of people at the White House—and across America—think of Elon Musk as an automaker, but he’s not. He’s a car assembler,” Navarro said in an interview with CNBC on April 7, adding that many Tesla components are sourced from Japan, mainland China, and Taiwan.
Navarro emphasized that Musk’s approach focuses on importing cheap parts, while the Trump administration is pushing to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
“Our vision is different from Elon’s,” Navarro said. “We want the tires made in Akron, transmissions in Indianapolis, engines from Flint and Saginaw. We want American cars made in America.”
Asked about Musk’s recent public criticism of his credentials, Navarro said they haven’t spoken directly, but insisted there’s no bad blood. “Between me and Elon, things are fine,” he said, adding that the two will likely cross paths at future White House meetings with President Trump.
Navarro acknowledged that Musk and his Government Operations Efficiency Board (DOGE) have made important contributions by cutting “waste and fraud” in federal spending. But he argued Musk doesn’t fully grasp the administration’s trade strategy. “Elon’s concerns are personal. His supply chain is getting hit hard by tariffs because Tesla imports a lot of parts,” Navarro said.
“Elon owns X, so he has a giant megaphone,” he added. “But we don’t care what he wants—we care about the American people knowing we’re doing just fine.”
Musk has spent the past week openly criticizing Trump’s trade team, especially after the White House rolled out sweeping retaliatory tariffs that have rattled global markets. According to CNBC, Musk’s net worth has dropped by over $30 billion since the tariffs were announced.
On April 6, Musk slammed Navarro on X, calling him “out of touch with reality and obsessed with theory.” He mocked Navarro’s Harvard Ph.D. as a liability, not an asset, saying it “inflates ego more than ability.” When another user defended Navarro, Musk shot back: “He’s never built anything.”
The Tesla CEO also posted a quote from economist Thomas Sowell: “Virtually every disaster in the history of the United States has had Harvard fingerprints on it.”
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