The White House brushed aside the tariff policy differences between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling it a case of “boys will be boys.”
Commenting on whether the dispute could affect how the public perceives tariff policies, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “These are obviously two different individuals who have very different views on trade and tariffs. Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue. And you guys should be very grateful that we have the most transparent administration in history, and I think it also speaks to the President’s willingness to hear from all sides. He has people at the highest levels of the government and White House.”
Musk-Navarro Feud
The Musk-Navarro feud escalated after Navarro dismissed Tesla as “not a car manufacturer” but “a car assembler” that relies on foreign-made components. He also claimed Musk opposes tariffs simply because he wants access to “cheap foreign parts.”
Musk hit back, citing a study that ranked Tesla’s Model Y as the most American-made car. He said, “Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.” He also mocked Navarro’s fictional expert “Ron Vara,” a made-up name the advisor has used in his books.
