Navarro Downplays Feud with Musk Following Tariff Dispute

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday denied any ongoing tensions between himself and Elon Musk, despite a recent exchange in which the Tesla CEO publicly insulted him over their differing views on US trade policy.

“Elon and I are great,” Navarro said during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.

He responded to Musk’s comments earlier in the week in which he referred to the trade adviser as a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.” Navarro laughed off the remarks, saying:

“I’ve been called worse.”

The friction between the two prominent Trump administration allies began after Musk criticized the White House’s recently announced tariffs on international trade, advocating instead for a “zero-tariff” policy to promote free trade between Europe and North America. Navarro, a longtime advocate of reshoring American manufacturing, dismissed Musk’s position, saying Tesla “is not a car manufacturer but a car assembler,” referencing the company’s reliance on imported parts.

In the days that followed, Musk responded on social media, escalating the disagreement with a string of pointed insults. Despite the public exchange, Navarro sought to minimize any appearance of discord during his Sunday appearance, emphasizing shared goals and praising Musk’s role in a government initiative focused on eliminating inefficiencies.

“Elon is doing a very good job with his team with waste, fraud, and abuse,” Navarro said, referring to Musk’s involvement in the administration’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

The White House also seemed to dismiss the spat, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters, “Boys will be boys,” while framing the dispute as a transparent debate among high-profile figures in government.

The disagreement between Musk and Navarro comes amid broader discussions about the administration’s shifting trade policy. President Trump recently announced temporary reductions to newly imposed tariffs, pausing some of them for 90 days while negotiations continue with US trading partners.

Navarro defended both the initial tariff rollout and the pause, describing it as a strategic move to encourage trade deals.

“This is unfolding exactly like we thought it would,” he said.

Navarro suggested the administration is now in talks with a range of countries including the UK, Japan, and the European Union.

Navarro’s defense of the tariffs — and the larger trade vision they support — signals continued division within the administration over how best to balance global competition with domestic industry growth. Though Musk remains critical of protectionist policies, Navarro maintained that bringing manufacturing back to the US remains the administration’s core objective.

With input from NBC, the Guardian, and Axios.