Why has the billionaire bad boy Elon Musk created a rare
political rift in public view between two prominent figures
himself and President Donald Trump?
Now? The tension exploded online, but
it stemmed from behind the scenes efforts by Musk to halt
sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports.
For someone who poured nearly $290,000,000 into helping Trump
in the GOP in the last election cycle, Musk's sharp pivot isn't
just a disagreement. It's a full blown conflict that
challenges assumptions about his power now.
Musk's efforts weren't subtle, though.
While I'm basting Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro in a
series of blistering ex posts, Musk was also working channels
behind the scenes, reaching out to President Donald Trump
directly. According to two individuals
familiar with the matter, Musk had been making personal pleas
to the president to reverse his administration's decision to
impose tariffs of up to 34% on Chinese imports, with another
round of 50% tariffs looming. So far, those appeals have
failed Elon. Now, what makes this all more
dramatic is how public Elon has made his case.
He posted a video of Milton Friedman, the late economist
known for promoting free market policies, arguing in favor of
international cooperation via trade.
The video included. Friedman's famous breakdown of a
simple Pencil's global supply chain was a clear rebuke of
Trump's new tariffs in a challenge to the protectionist
philosophy driving them. The Trump is not directly
responded to Elon Musk's pleas online, but his administration
has pressed forward. In a statement, White House
press secretary Karen Levitt stood by the administration's
actions, saying when he makes a decision, everyone rose in the
same direction to execute. That's why this administration
has done more in two months than the previous admin did in four
years. Not everyone is running in the
same direction, though. Musk launched sharp criticisms
toward Navarro, calling him a moron and Dumber than a sack of
bricks after Navarro appeared on CNBC and downplayed Musk's role
in manufacturing, calling him more of a car assembler.
You know, Elon Musk was pretty pissed off.
He said Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto
manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US
content. He ended one post an X saying
Ron Vara, a fictional trade expert Navarro reportedly
invented as a character in his books.
And he said Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron
Vara. You switch those letters around,
it spells Navarro. He made it up, though.
It's not the first time Musk has clashed with Trump era trade
policies. Back in 2020, Musk's Tesla sued
the Trump administration over tariffs on parts imported from
China. When the lawsuit gained
traction, Musk pulled away, upset at how it might be
perceived politically. He reportedly lashed out at
employees who had pushed for the lawsuit after a conservative
voice is accused him of siding with China.
Now, this matters for two big reasons.
First, it exposes how even those with direct access to political
power can struggle to shape outcomes that affect their own
businesses. And Musk isn't just any CEO,
though. These companies rely on the
global supply chains, especially for EV components and rare earth
minerals. Tariffs that restrict these
trade routes directly affect Tesla's ability to manufacture
affordably and competitively. Second, the spat reveals growing
cracks within the conservative coalition, especially on issues
like free trade, immigration and federal spending.
The consequences of Trump's new tariffs are not abstract, though
Musk's long argued the tariffs are functionally attacks on
American consumers. His brother Kimball Musk echoed
that this week, rating on X. Who would have thought that
Trump was actually the most high tax American president in
generations? His point here?
Tariffs raise prices domestically while failing to
effectively punish foreign producers.
Kimball's comments came weeks after publicly appraising Trump
at a White House event featuring Tesla's, showing how rapidly the
loyalties in that party have shifted.
Tesla's already feeling the impact, though.
The stock prices dropped, the target was 550, and now it's
3:15. There's weaker demand and
increased political risk. Tesla has essentially become a
political symbol globally. That's a very bad thing for Elon
Musk in the future of the tech that they're building.
It's disruptive and it's a crisis going on right now for
Tesla and Elon. The Tesla shares dropped more
than 2.5% on Monday, closing at $233.29.
They're back up now, but for the year, the Tesla stock has lost
38% of value, not going up into the right anymore.
Everything's calm down. Everything went down when Elon
joined Trump. The Musk's criticism extend
beyond trade policy. He's also disagreed with other
aspects of Trump's platform, including the treatment of
skilled immigration under H1B visa and the cost trimming
measures imposed at the US Department of Government
Efficiency, where he played a leadership role.
Now, his departure from the post is expected in a few weeks for
the signaling a cooling of relations with the Trump camp.
Now, at the core of Musk's argument is a call for
international cooperation. During a conversation with
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini over the weekend,
Musk pushed for a free trade zone between the US and Europe.
The end of the day, I hope it's agreed that both Europe and the
United States should move ideally in my view, to a zero
tariff situation Elon Musk spoke about on X.
He also pushed for more liberal migration policies between the
two regions, saying workers should be free to live and work
where they choose. He believes that countries are
just a line, an imaginary line that people drew because they
wanted power. Now, Musk views aren't
universally shared, though, even within his own business circle.
But he isn't entirely isolated either, a close friend of Musk,
Joe Lonsdale, said on X in a public post.
He said he had been urging friends in the administration to
reconsider the tariff plan, warning that it would ultimately
damage U.S. companies more than their Chinese counterparts.
Lonsdale declined to elaborate on the efforts, though.
But others in Musk's network were reportedly working over the
weekend to form an informal group that would push back on
Trump's hardline stance. Now the business community's
frustration comes from feeling blindsided.
Many believe that Trump, while tough in rhetoric, could be
persuaded by moderate voices in his cabinet, like Treasury
Secretary Scott Bassett. They were also surprised at the
hard stance from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, once
seen as an Elon Musk ally who emerged as a strong proponent of
protectionist policies. It's not just a business
disagreement, it's also a political one.
Musk's increasingly vocal disapproval of Trump's direction
threatens to shake up alliances within the GOP.
Musk's influence as a donor and culture figure grows, so does
the weight of his public criticism.
It also raises questions about how much power high profile
supporters actually have when the policies start to bite.
Now, if you're listening to this on any podcast platform that has
comments, I want you to leave me a comment below.
What do you think about Trump and Elon Musk?
Do you think Trump thinks Elon Musk is now some sort of traitor
for going behind his back and denying his policies?
It's a tough situation for Elon, a tough situation for Trump.
Trump can just brush him aside. He doesn't need him anymore.
He used him for the election and maybe he pushed him aside.
He doesn't need him. That could be a thing.
Let me know in the comments. Now.
Musk may be recalibrating his public stance, though.
On Monday, he posted an ex thread from the official U.S.
trade Representative count, which defended the tariffs by
accusing China of unfair practices.
Musk added a brief good points, signaling he may be hedging or
seeking a middle ground after days of intense online
confrontations. Still, the rift between Musk and
Trump's trade team is more than just a social media squabble.
They're not teenagers here. It's a reflection of deep
tensions between economic nationalism and global
enterprise. Musk, who has built his empire
on international cooperation in distributed manufacturing, is
now clashing with a political movement he helped empower, but
whose values are becoming increasingly difficult for his
companies to navigate. Now the fallout from this
dispute could shape the future of Tesla and also the future of
Elon Musk. If he wins this and gets behind
the no tariff free trade agreements and that becomes a
thing in the United States and he pushes Donald Trump to the
side, he could be seen as a martyr for the other side from
the Democrats and liberals. But if he sticks with Donald
Trump and he stays the game plan of the GOP and the MAGA
movement, he could be a hero on that side too.
So either way, he plays the game, he's going to win, I
believe. Let me know in the comments what
you think. So that's it for today,
everybody. I want to make you a deal real
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Take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you in the
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