'Boys will be boys': White House on Elon Musk-Peter Navarro tariff tiff

Apr 10, 2025

World
'Boys will be boys': White House on Elon Musk-Peter Navarro tariff tiff

Washington [US], April 9: As Elon Musk called one of President Donald Trump's top economic aides a "moron," the White House on Tuesday declared that "boys will be boys."Musk and long-time Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro have been squabbling publicly over Trump's decision to impose sweeping tariffs on most of its trading partners.The move has triggered a market sell-off and prompted analysts to wonder if the United States is headed into a recession.Navarro on Monday on CNBC had dismissed a push by billionaire and Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab CEO Musk for "zero tariffs" between the United States and Europe, calling him a "car assembler" reliant on imported parts, and said he wanted the parts to be manufactured locally in the U.S.Navarro is widely seen as the architect of Trump's wide-ranging tariff plans. The policy is intended to revive U.S. manufacturing and shore up national security but has hammered markets and thrown global supply chains into uncertainty.Asked about the dust-up between the advisers, Leavitt said the public nature of the spat was evidence of the Trump administration's transparency and Trump's willingness to listen to diverse opinions.Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation