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‘He Ain’t Built S**t’: Elon Musk Takes a Shot at Peter Navarro Over Defense of Trump Tariffs
Mediaite ^ | April 5, 2025 | Zachary Leaman

Posted on 04/05/2025 10:43:07 AM PDT by Miami Rebel

Elon Musk took multiple shots at Peter Navarro in reaction to a clip of the trade advisor defending President Donald Trump’s tariffs amid steep declines in the stock market.

Musk has remained fairly silent on Trump’s tariff announcement as stocks, including Musk’s, have taken major hits. Tesla stock fell 10% by Friday, erasing billions in Musk’s wealth. Markets closed on Friday with the week marking the worst trading week in five years.

Navarro, a senior counselor to the president, has been among the White House officials passionately defending the tariff strategy, insisting a manufacturing boom in the United States is on the way.

In multiple X posts, Musk replied to a CNN clip of Navarro defending the tariff strategy by calling out Navarro for not building “shit” and mocking his education.

In the clip, Navarro spoke with CNN’s Phil Mattingly and argued that past trade deals transferred too much “wealth” abroad.

Navarro argued:

Here’s the analytical issue we’re trying to do under the principle that the president wants to charge those countries what they charge us. As you pointed out, Vietnam has an applied tariff rate that’s much larger than ours, but doesn’t come near the tariff we charge them, so the question is how do you value the following, Phil. So let me count the ways. You’ve got to value currency manipulation, you’ve got to value the VAT tax distortions, dumping, export subsidies, technical barriers of trade, agricultural barriers to trade, quotas, bans, counterfeiting, intellectual property theft, and all of that. So here’s the punchline. If you look at the trade deficit… should the U.S. have chronic and sustained deficits? They should not.

Musk was apparently left unimpressed with the fellow Trump advisor.

“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem,” Musk wrote in a reply to the clip of Navarro.

In response to someone arguing that Navarro is “correct” in his analysis, Musk simply wrote, “He ain’t built shit.”

In a Saturday interview with CNN’s Michael Smerconish, Navarro again argued that the drop in the markets is part of a “restructuring” of the economy.

“Trust in Trump,” Navarro said, insisting “everything’s going to be fine,” especially if the media “calms down” over plummeting stocks.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: 0classonfr; ccp; certainlynotnews; china; clintonnonnews; cnn; demagogicparty; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; elonmusk; frdegenerates; frpottymouths; mediawingofthednc; musk; muskbasher; navarro; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; peternavarro; stocksgoupanddown; tariff; tariffs; tds
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1 posted on 04/05/2025 10:43:07 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: Miami Rebel

Not good with this infighting!


2 posted on 04/05/2025 10:52:37 AM PDT by Macho MAGA Man (The last two weren't balloons. One was a cylindrical object)
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To: Miami Rebel

Musk’s chinese tesla factory is very much endangered by Trump’s tarriff policy.

That factory is now a pawn in a much bigger game.

Musk feels the exposure.


3 posted on 04/05/2025 10:54:49 AM PDT by ckilmer
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To: Miami Rebel
In response to someone arguing that Navarro is “correct” in his analysis, Musk simply wrote, “He ain’t built shit.”

I noticed that Musk doesn't counter Navarro's analysis - rather he points out that Navarro isn't a manufacturer/builder.

For me and hopefully most Americans, the tariff argument is very simple. Require countries to pay the same level of tariff and government fees like VAT that they charge us. AKA not being a sucker! The other thing that needs to be shouted from the housetops is that we are $36 Trillion in debt and recouping money from countries that have grifted on the U.S. taxpayer for decades will 'help' reduce the debt.

4 posted on 04/05/2025 10:59:10 AM PDT by JesusIsLord
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To: ckilmer

“Tesla just pawn in game of life”.

-Mongo

CC


5 posted on 04/05/2025 11:01:10 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: ckilmer

Tesla production from Shanghai is not exported to the US.


6 posted on 04/05/2025 11:03:21 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: Miami Rebel

I like Musk.
I like Navarro.

In this case, Navarro is siding with Trump.

So I figure I’ll disagree with Musk’s assessment.


7 posted on 04/05/2025 11:03:29 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: Miami Rebel

There’s nothing the left would like to see more than a split between Trump and Musk.

And it would be bad for both Trump and Musk and the other side would celebrate their first big scalp.

Trump better be real careful about alienating a chunk of his base and emboldening the other side.


8 posted on 04/05/2025 11:04:48 AM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how they. control you. )
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To: JesusIsLord

It’s not just tariff for tariff, it’s also tariff for negative balance of trade (which might be better long term).


9 posted on 04/05/2025 11:06:11 AM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: Miami Rebel

Will not be surprised if Musk ends up saying “I was used”.

I noted in article today that many Ford vehicles made in United States Ford manufacturing plants contain hundreds of parts that are imported and will now be subject to tariffs of 255 or more. And, there is no short term solution in those facts of Ford’s supply chain, which is not different than General Motors, Stellantis or the Asian branded car factories in the United States. For the next several years price hikes on all motor vechicles made in the United States are unavoidable. Those price hikes will not make for more U.S. motor vehicle exports. Trump’s only “help” is a proposed tax deduction for the interest on car loans on cars produced in the U.S. A back handed acknowledgement that motor vechicle price hikes are in the offing. And what is a “tax deduction”? Its a form of subsidy. And why innovate if your higher prices will be subsidized?


10 posted on 04/05/2025 11:07:19 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: All

Caution: Miami Rebel is a Free Traitor TDS freak.


11 posted on 04/05/2025 11:07:51 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: Miami Rebel
Different people are different.

Adults have disagreements, and not always behind closed doors. This is life. It's not always pretty, but at least it's real.

12 posted on 04/05/2025 11:09:10 AM PDT by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again" - J. Hendrix)
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To: JesusIsLord

This is a complete misreading of our tariff wars.

Our new tariffs are NOT retaliatory to foreign tariffs. I defy you to find a correlation.

The White House cooked up its numbers based on TRADE DEFICITS, not tariffs.

If a poor country exports commodities like cobalt, lithium, or diamonds, it doesn’t mean its citizens have the capacity to buy much in the way of US products. So therefore, we may buy $200 million in molybdenum, but the buying power of the entire population is a fraction of that. That means that they run a deficit WITHOUT ANY TARIFFS ON THEIR SIDE.

As of this week, we’ll charge a 50% tariff on its exports to the US, tariffs which will be paid by US industry.

The $26 Trillion in debt is due to our fiscal irresponsibility. It is not a result of cumulative trade deficits. Trade surpluses or deficits won’t lower or expand ou indebtness.


13 posted on 04/05/2025 11:12:21 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: Wuli

US Tesla production uses practically no imported components.


14 posted on 04/05/2025 11:13:39 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: central_va

“Caution: Miami Rebel is a Free Traitor TDS freak.”

And so was Ronald Reagan (except for the TDS part.) And so apparently is Elon Musk.


15 posted on 04/05/2025 11:15:06 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: Miami Rebel

Ok globalist troll. It is expected that the latest tariff schedule will bring $400B/yr.


16 posted on 04/05/2025 11:15:09 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: Miami Rebel

Reagan was wrong about about a lot of things. Trade being one of them. He made quite a few mistakes.


17 posted on 04/05/2025 11:16:31 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: Wuli

Domestic vehicles need to have all their parts made in the usa otherwise we are held at the mercy of trade embargos and wars. If these make cars higher in price, then Domestic Carmakers have lardheads for designers and accountants who need to be shoved aside for true innovators.


18 posted on 04/05/2025 11:21:44 AM PDT by mdmathis6 (A horrible historic indictment: Biden Democrats plunging the world into war to hide their crimes!)
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To: Miami Rebel

Got any polls showing Harris winning one of your specialties during the campaign


19 posted on 04/05/2025 11:22:24 AM PDT by Lod881019
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To: Wuli

Treasury Secretary already stated this is fake news as parts for autos are exempt as he was asked by Caitlin Collins on CNN about this directly


20 posted on 04/05/2025 11:23:55 AM PDT by Lod881019
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