Elon Musk pleaded with Donald Trump to reverse tariffs — Here’s what happened

Elon Musk made personal appeals to US President Donald Trump over the weekend, urging him to reconsider the sweeping global tariffs announced last week, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The attempt, however, was unsuccessful.

The tariffs, which affect a broad range of US allies, triggered a global market rout on Monday, erasing trillions.

Tensions between allies

Musk's relationship with Trump marks a growing divergence between the president and one of his most influential backers. Musk donated nearly $290 million to support Trump and Republican candidates in the last election cycle and currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), envisaged to take steps aimed at pruning federal spending.

Musk takes on Navarro

Last Saturday, Musk targeted Trump’s key trade adviser Peter Navarro, the architect behind the tariff plan, questioning both his competence and credibility.

“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing,” Musk posted on X.

His criticism intensified on Tuesday morning after Navarro appeared on CNBC and dismissed Musk as a mere “car assembler.”

“Navarro is truly a moron,” Musk replied online.

“Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content,” he said before calling Navarro “dumber than a sack of bricks.”

White House: "Boys will Be boys"

Asked about the escalating feud, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt played down the dispute.

“Look, these are obviously two individuals who have very different views on trade and on tariffs,” Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

“Boys will be boys and we will let their public sparring continue. And you guys should all be very grateful that we have the most transparent administration in history.”

She also said the president “welcomes input from all sides.”

Musk pushes for free trade between US-Europe

In an interview with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini over the weekend, Musk laid out his vision for global trade, diverging sharply from Trump’s protectionist agenda.

“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,” Musk said.

“I would like more freedom for people to move between countries in Europe and the United States and work in either, if they wish,” he added. “That has certainly been my advice to the president.”

Criticism of Trump’s tariffs

Trump’s aggressive trade policy has drawn broad condemnation—not just from business leaders like Musk, but from economists, political opponents, and some within his own party.

Despite this, Trump doubled down on Monday, threatening an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports while leaving room for selective negotiations.