Musk Criticizes Navarro Amidst Tariff Chaos: ‘He ain’t built shit’
The tech CEO has seen billions in losses due to plummeting markets and has largely remained quiet regarding the president’s tariffs.
TroibNews 
Elon Musk appeared to take a shot at senior White House aide Peter Navarro, a prominent supporter of President Donald Trump’s tariff initiatives, during a period of market instability that has adversely affected Musk’s investments.
Typically a close ally to the president, Musk has been notably reserved as Trump's extensive tariffs have led to significant market declines and retaliatory measures from global trade partners.
Following Trump's tariff announcement on Tuesday, Musk's fortunes took a severe hit, costing him billions. Tesla, his electric vehicle company, depends on imported components from China, which is now facing a 34 percent tariff imposed by Trump.
In retaliation, China announced a matched 34 percent tariff on all U.S. goods on Friday. Since Trump's tariffs were revealed, Tesla's stock has fallen in line with broader market trends.
Early Saturday morning, Musk used his social media platform, X, to seemingly criticize Navarro, posting comments beneath a video where Navarro justified the Trump administration's rationale for imposing tariffs during a CNN segment.
“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem,” Musk remarked in one of his posts.
Responding to another user's praise for Navarro's explanation, Musk remarked, “He ain’t built shit,” referring to the economist's lack of tangible achievements.
Additionally, Musk reacted to a user sharing a quote from the well-known conservative economist and commentator Thomas Sowell, which stated, “In every disaster throughout American history, there always seems to be a man from Harvard in the middle of it.”
“Yup,” Musk said in response, seemingly pointing to Navarro.
Sowell has been critical of Trump's tariffs, cautioning that they could lead to a global trade conflict and possibly instigate a new Great Depression.
Despite his brief critique of Navarro, Musk continued to endorse other policies from the Trump administration on his social media platform throughout Saturday morning, sharing updates on his work with DOGE and reposting material that praised Trump's border policies.
This moment of Musk's apparent anti-tariff sentiment occurred amid reports, first disclosed by PMG, that Trump has confided in his close associates that Musk will likely resign from his position soon.
Neither the White House nor DOGE responded immediately to requests for comments.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Typically a close ally to the president, Musk has been notably reserved as Trump's extensive tariffs have led to significant market declines and retaliatory measures from global trade partners.
Following Trump's tariff announcement on Tuesday, Musk's fortunes took a severe hit, costing him billions. Tesla, his electric vehicle company, depends on imported components from China, which is now facing a 34 percent tariff imposed by Trump.
In retaliation, China announced a matched 34 percent tariff on all U.S. goods on Friday. Since Trump's tariffs were revealed, Tesla's stock has fallen in line with broader market trends.
Early Saturday morning, Musk used his social media platform, X, to seemingly criticize Navarro, posting comments beneath a video where Navarro justified the Trump administration's rationale for imposing tariffs during a CNN segment.
“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem,” Musk remarked in one of his posts.
Responding to another user's praise for Navarro's explanation, Musk remarked, “He ain’t built shit,” referring to the economist's lack of tangible achievements.
Additionally, Musk reacted to a user sharing a quote from the well-known conservative economist and commentator Thomas Sowell, which stated, “In every disaster throughout American history, there always seems to be a man from Harvard in the middle of it.”
“Yup,” Musk said in response, seemingly pointing to Navarro.
Sowell has been critical of Trump's tariffs, cautioning that they could lead to a global trade conflict and possibly instigate a new Great Depression.
Despite his brief critique of Navarro, Musk continued to endorse other policies from the Trump administration on his social media platform throughout Saturday morning, sharing updates on his work with DOGE and reposting material that praised Trump's border policies.
This moment of Musk's apparent anti-tariff sentiment occurred amid reports, first disclosed by PMG, that Trump has confided in his close associates that Musk will likely resign from his position soon.
Neither the White House nor DOGE responded immediately to requests for comments.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
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