Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, publicly insulted Peter Navarro, a former White House trade advisor, calling him an "imbecile" and "moron." This stemmed from Navarro's criticism of Tesla's manufacturing processes, claiming the company was an assembler using imported parts rather than a true manufacturer of components like tires and engines in the US.
Musk countered Navarro's claims, asserting that Tesla uses more US-made components than other manufacturers. He also called out Navarro for referencing a seemingly fictitious expert named Ron Vara (an anagram of Navarro's name) in previous publications.
The conflict highlights Musk's opposition to Navarro's protectionist trade policies. This dispute occurred amidst broader tensions between Musk and other Trump administration members over Musk's work dismantling parts of the federal government. While Trump initially supported Musk, he hinted that Musk's involvement in government efficiency might be temporary due to Tesla's struggling sales and stock price.