'Car assembler': Top Trump aide hits back at Elon Musk’s criticism
Elon Musk looks on during the day of a meeting with House Republicans to discuss the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 5, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
Top Trump aide Peter Navarro called tech billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk a "car assembler" on Monday, saying that people consider him a car manufacturer — which he is not.
“When it comes to tariffs and trade, we all understand in the White House and the American people understand that Elon’s a car manufacturer, but he’s not a car manufacturer. He’s a car assembler in many cases,” Navarro, who is an architect of President Donald Trump's controversial policy on tariffs, said on CNBC.
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Navarro was trying to clear the air after the DOGE head called him out over Trump's tariff policy over the weekend. Navarro referred to Musk as a "car person," while insisting that he does not have major disagreements with the DOGE head.
“I’m just about to tell you, look, Elon Musk and his DOGE team is making a contribution to America in terms of waste, fraud and abuse, and that’s a very good thing for this country and the American people,” he said.
“If you go to his Texas plant, a good part of the engines that he gets, which in the EV case is the batteries, come from Japan and come from China. The electronics come from Taiwan," Navarro said of Musk.
”What we want, and the difference is in our thinking and Elon’s on this, is that we want the tires made in Akron. We want the transmissions made in Indianapolis. We want the engines made in Flint and Saginaw, and we want the cars manufactured here,” he added.
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Despite this, the Trump aide insisted that "everything’s good with Elon."
Earlier, Musk strongly criticized Navarro in a post on his social platform X. "He ain't built s———," Musk said of Navarro.
The billionaire appeared to distance himself from the White House's tariff policy.
While appearing alongside Italy's far-right deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini on Saturday, Musk deviated from the government's economic stance, suggesting that the United States and Europe should aim for a "zero-tariff situation," essentially establishing a free-trade zone.
