US President Donald Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk don't seem to be on the same page about America's sweeping tariffs that sent shockwaves across the globe, sparking fears of recession and a global trade war. Musk reportedly made a "personal appeal" to the President to reverse the new levies he announced on Chinese imports, but to no avail.
According to a report by The Washington Post, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief "attempted intervention" after Trump threatened on Monday to add 50 per cent tariffs on imports from China to go along with the 34 percent taxes he announced last week. Musk even held direct "private talks" with the President, hoping to convince him to scale back the measures, but it "has not brought success so far", the report said.
Trouble In Paradise?
Meanwhile, Musk subtly indicated his disagreement with the Republican billionaire's stance on tariffs by posting a video on X in which the late conservative economist Milton Friedman explained how international trade cooperation was good for economies.
In the video, Friedman touted the benefits of global collaboration by breaking down the sources of the materials that go into a simple wooden pencil.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 7, 2025
Earlier on Saturday, before Trump's tariffs came into effect, Musk told Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini that he wants a "zero-tariff situation" between America and Europe. "At the end of the day, I hope it's agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation. That has certainly been my advice to the president," he said.
Musk, chief executive officer (CEO) of electric automaker Tesla, has long opposed tariffs and believes they are detrimental to businesses, especially ones like his automobile that see both the United States and China as key manufacturing and consumer hubs. During Trump's first term as President, Musk filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the tax on Tesla's imports from China to the United States.
Musk is reportedly under increasing pressure to reverse signs of Tesla's slumping demand in the global market, prompted in part by his foray into politics. After Monday's bloodshed on Wall Street, Tesla stock closed at $233.29 per share, down by over 2.5 percent. So far this year, the stock has lost over 38 per cent of its value.
Over the weekend, before Trump's new tariffs came into effect, the DOGE chief also lashed out at Peter Navarro, the White House adviser responsible for Trump's aggressive tariff plan, ridiculing his educational background.
"A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing," Musk wrote, retweeting a video of Navarro.
Navarro has not commented on the issue so far. However, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended him and said, "The President has put together a remarkable team of highly talented and experienced individuals who bring different ideas to the table, knowing that President Trump is the ultimate decision maker."
Musk's break with Trump over a key administration priority marks the highest-profile disagreement between the president and one of his key advisers, according to The Washington Post.
Musk, the world's richest person, has spent nearly $290 million backing Trump and his team in last year's presidential elections, and in return, he was entrusted to lead the US DOGE Service's cost-cutting efforts. Incidentally, the disagreement came just weeks before Musk is expected to depart his post in the administration.
However, this is not the first time he has had disagreements with Trump's colleagues and supporters. Earlier, he opposed other members of Trump's coalition on issues such as H1-B visas for skilled immigrants and on DOGE's approach to government spending.
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