Elon Musk Calls Trump Trade Advisor Peter Navarro 'Dumber Than Sack Of Bricks,' Defends Tesla As 'Most American-Made Cars'

Benzinga · 04/08 15:52

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk escalated his public feud with Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser to President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Musk called him “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” on the social media platform X. 

The Details: Signs of a rift between Musk and Navarro first emerged this past weekend when Musk replied to a posted video of Navarro defending the administration's tariff calculations, suggesting that Navarro's Harvard economics PhD was a disadvantage. 

Read Next: Trump Slaps 25% Tariffs On Autos: What It Means For Your Next Car Purchase 

On Tuesday morning, Musk responded to another video clip in which Navarro said that Tesla assembles EVs in Texas using mostly foreign-made parts. 

"Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false," Musk wrote. 

"Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks," Musk added. 

The post also linked to a Kelley Blue Book article, which showed that Tesla produces the top four most American-made cars based on assembly location, parts content, engine origin, transmission origin and U.S. manufacturing workforce. 

Musk posted another reply saying, "By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content."

The feud reflects broader tensions over Trump’s trade policies, which Musk has recently criticized. Musk has expressed support for more free trade, contrasting with Navarro’s advocacy for stricter tariffs. The public disagreement highlights divisions within Trump’s circle of allies and advisers. 

Tesla shares have fallen nearly 40% in 2025. The stock has been downgraded by several firms, which have cited "brand damage" due to Musk's political involvement in the Trump administration. 

TSLA Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro, Tesla shares are up 4.76% at $244.39 amid a broad market rally as Wall Street hopes for tariff negotiations. 

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