Despite the public insults, White House trade policy adviser Peter Navarro said he does not hold a grudge against Elon Musk, who had previously called him an “idiot” and “dumber than a bag of bricks,” Fox News reports .
“I’ve been called worse,” Navarro replied on NBC. He stressed that there is no conflict between him and Musk: “Everything is fine with Elon. He’s doing a fantastic job of fighting waste, fraud and abuse.”
Musk’s insulting remarks were in response to Navarro’s criticism of his idea of “zero tariffs” in US-EU trade. In response, Navarro called Musk a “car assembler” who depends on imported parts. Nevertheless, the adviser noted Musk’s contribution to reducing government spending as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he cut nearly 200,000 positions.
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt described the dispute as a “difference of opinion” and joked that “boys will be boys”.
This story illustrates how public conflicts in American politics can be combined with recognition of the effectiveness of even the most controversial allies.
