Elon Musk has made personal appeals to Donald Trump to reverse his new wave of sweeping tariffs, The Washington Post reported over the weekend. As tensions rose over a planned 50% tariff on Chinese imports, Musk turned to social media to voice his opposition — while also trying to influence the president directly.
Two people familiar with the matter confirmed the outreach, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the private discussions. Their efforts appear to have fallen short. Trump, despite some openness to negotiations, has doubled down on his plans, following an earlier announcement of 34% tariffs last week.
This isn’t Musk’s first clash with Trump over trade. In 2020, Tesla sued the Trump administration to challenge earlier tariffs. Though Musk initially supported the move, he later reacted negatively, reportedly berating staff after the decision. The lawsuit became a lightning rod for criticism on the right, who accused Musk of being too cosy with Beijing and undercutting Trump’s "America First" stance.
Now, as fresh tariffs roll out, many of Musk’s allies within the tech and business world are again scrambling. Some have made their own appeals to Trump officials like Vice President JD Vance. Investor Joe Lonsdale, a longtime friend of Musk, publicly stated:
“I argued to friends in the administration in recent days that tariffs would hurt American companies more than Chinese ones.”
Lonsdale declined further comment beyond that post.
Behind-the-scenes lobbying
According to The Washington Post, a group of business leaders has been trying to form an informal coalition to push the administration towards more moderate trade policies. Their hope was that Trump would take cues from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and soften his stance.
But the presence of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — once seen as a Musk ally — has changed expectations. Lutnick has emerged as a firm voice in favour of protectionism, complicating internal efforts to shift course.
Tesla Feels the Heat
All this comes at a precarious moment for Musk and Tesla. The company’s demand has faltered in recent months, which many analysts partially blame on Musk’s increasing political visibility.
Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities said the brand was facing severe reputational headwinds.
“The backlash from Trump tariff policies in China and Musk’s association will be hard to understate,” said Ives, lowering Tesla’s price target from $550 to $315.
“Tesla has essentially become a political symbol globally … and that is a very bad thing for the future of this disruptive tech stalwart and the brand crisis tornado that has now turned into an F5 tornado.”
Tesla’s share price fell over 2.5% on Monday to close at $233.29. It has lost more than 38% of its value since the start of the year.
Musk softens — but only slightly
By Monday evening, Musk appeared to extend an olive branch. Sharing a post from the official U.S. trade representative’s account that defended the tariffs by citing unfair trade practices, Musk simply commented: “Good points.”
His brother, Kimbal Musk — a fellow Tesla board member — was less diplomatic.
“Who would have thought that Trump was actually the most high tax American President in generations,” he wrote on X. “Through his tariff strategy, Trump has implemented a structural, permanent tax on the American consumer.”
Only weeks ago, Kimbal had praised Trump for showcasing Tesla cars at a White House event. That goodwill now seems in short supply.
Criticising the policy’s architects
At the centre of Musk’s frustration is Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser and architect of the current tariff plans. Musk did not hold back, targeting Navarro’s academic background on X.
“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing,” Musk posted.
Navarro declined to comment, but the White House stood by its team.
“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,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “When he makes a decision everyone rows in the same direction to execute. That’s why this Administration has done more in two months than the previous Admin did in four years.”
Pushing for a free trade future
Speaking over the weekend with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Musk laid out his vision of a tariff-free future.
“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.
He also called for more open movement of people across borders, particularly for skilled workers.
“That has certainly been my advice to the president,” he added.
Musk, who runs Tesla and has investments across the globe, has long been wary of tariffs. With Tesla manufacturing and selling in both China and the US, protectionist policies can hit his bottom line hard.
Musk is reportedly due to step down from his formal advisory role within the Trump orbit in the coming weeks. But the fallout from this high-profile disagreement may stretch far beyond that.
His break with Trump over tariffs is not just a business dispute — it reflects broader cracks in the uneasy alliance between Silicon Valley’s elite and the political forces they once helped bring to power.
For Musk, the world’s richest man, the cost of protectionism may go beyond balance sheets. It’s now entangled with politics, image, and influence — all in an election year that could reshape the global economy again.
Two people familiar with the matter confirmed the outreach, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the private discussions. Their efforts appear to have fallen short. Trump, despite some openness to negotiations, has doubled down on his plans, following an earlier announcement of 34% tariffs last week.
This isn’t Musk’s first clash with Trump over trade. In 2020, Tesla sued the Trump administration to challenge earlier tariffs. Though Musk initially supported the move, he later reacted negatively, reportedly berating staff after the decision. The lawsuit became a lightning rod for criticism on the right, who accused Musk of being too cosy with Beijing and undercutting Trump’s "America First" stance.
Now, as fresh tariffs roll out, many of Musk’s allies within the tech and business world are again scrambling. Some have made their own appeals to Trump officials like Vice President JD Vance. Investor Joe Lonsdale, a longtime friend of Musk, publicly stated:
“I argued to friends in the administration in recent days that tariffs would hurt American companies more than Chinese ones.”
Lonsdale declined further comment beyond that post.
Behind-the-scenes lobbying
According to The Washington Post, a group of business leaders has been trying to form an informal coalition to push the administration towards more moderate trade policies. Their hope was that Trump would take cues from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and soften his stance.
But the presence of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — once seen as a Musk ally — has changed expectations. Lutnick has emerged as a firm voice in favour of protectionism, complicating internal efforts to shift course.
Tesla Feels the Heat
All this comes at a precarious moment for Musk and Tesla. The company’s demand has faltered in recent months, which many analysts partially blame on Musk’s increasing political visibility.
Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities said the brand was facing severe reputational headwinds.
“The backlash from Trump tariff policies in China and Musk’s association will be hard to understate,” said Ives, lowering Tesla’s price target from $550 to $315.
“Tesla has essentially become a political symbol globally … and that is a very bad thing for the future of this disruptive tech stalwart and the brand crisis tornado that has now turned into an F5 tornado.”
Tesla’s share price fell over 2.5% on Monday to close at $233.29. It has lost more than 38% of its value since the start of the year.
Musk softens — but only slightly
By Monday evening, Musk appeared to extend an olive branch. Sharing a post from the official U.S. trade representative’s account that defended the tariffs by citing unfair trade practices, Musk simply commented: “Good points.”
His brother, Kimbal Musk — a fellow Tesla board member — was less diplomatic.
“Who would have thought that Trump was actually the most high tax American President in generations,” he wrote on X. “Through his tariff strategy, Trump has implemented a structural, permanent tax on the American consumer.”
Only weeks ago, Kimbal had praised Trump for showcasing Tesla cars at a White House event. That goodwill now seems in short supply.
Criticising the policy’s architects
At the centre of Musk’s frustration is Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser and architect of the current tariff plans. Musk did not hold back, targeting Navarro’s academic background on X.
“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing,” Musk posted.
Navarro declined to comment, but the White House stood by its team.
“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,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “When he makes a decision everyone rows in the same direction to execute. That’s why this Administration has done more in two months than the previous Admin did in four years.”
A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2025
Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem.
Pushing for a free trade future
Speaking over the weekend with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Musk laid out his vision of a tariff-free future.
“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.
He also called for more open movement of people across borders, particularly for skilled workers.
“That has certainly been my advice to the president,” he added.
Musk, who runs Tesla and has investments across the globe, has long been wary of tariffs. With Tesla manufacturing and selling in both China and the US, protectionist policies can hit his bottom line hard.
Musk is reportedly due to step down from his formal advisory role within the Trump orbit in the coming weeks. But the fallout from this high-profile disagreement may stretch far beyond that.
His break with Trump over tariffs is not just a business dispute — it reflects broader cracks in the uneasy alliance between Silicon Valley’s elite and the political forces they once helped bring to power.
For Musk, the world’s richest man, the cost of protectionism may go beyond balance sheets. It’s now entangled with politics, image, and influence — all in an election year that could reshape the global economy again.
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