The White House dismissed concerns about the expletive-laden fighting between tech billionaire Elon Musk and White House trade advisor Peter Navarro over tariffs, calling it an example of transparency from the Trump administration.
“These are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and tariffs. Boys will be boys, and we will let their public sparring continue,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Tuesday’s briefing with reporters. “You guys should all be very grateful that we have the most transparent administration in history.”
The remarks came just hours after Musk, a close ally of President Trump, called Navarro a “moron” for the claims he made about Tesla’s manufacturing and assembly process.
“Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false,” Musk wrote on the social platform X, in response to a video of Navarro claiming Tesla is not a “car manufacturer,” but rather a “car assembler,” that puts together parts from other countries.
Musk pushed back on Navarro’s claims, stating Tesla “has the most American-made cars.”
Tesla produces all of its North American vehicles in the U.S. at factories in California and Texas, though some of its parts do not come from the U.S. While the electric vehicle manufacturer may be more shielded from Trump’s 25 percent auto tariffs due to its domestic production, the company has warned it is still vulnerable to retaliatory tariffs.
“Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks,” Musk added, writing later, “By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content. Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara.”
Musk also mocked Navarro with a derogatory term for someone with a mental disability.
Leavitt suggested the back-and-forth between Musk and Navarro show Trump’s “willingness to hear from all sides.”
That he has people at the highest levels of this government, in this White House, who have very diverse opinions on very diverse issues,” she said. “But the president takes all opinions in mind, and then he makes the best decision based on the best interests of the American public.”
The comments were the latest escalation of an ongoing debate between the two Trump allies over the administration’s sweeping tariffs, which went into effect last week and sent shockwaves through the stock market.
Musk recently advocated for a “zero-tariff situation” between the U.S. and Europe, prompting criticism from Navarro who claimed Musk “doesn’t understand” during an interview on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Navarro made clear he believes Musk is “great” when he is “in his DOGE lane,” while also suggesting the tech billionaire is protecting his own business interests.