Musk and Trump growing apart? Billionaire tried to persuade US president to lift tariffs, report claims

Tesla CEO Elon Musk made direct appeals to US President Donald Trump over the weekend to lift the tariffs amid the rising tensions with US trade allies, according to a Washington Post report.

The report, citing two people familiar with the matter, said that confirmed Musk’s attempted intervention has not brought success so far. On Monday (Apr 7), Trump threatened to impose additional 50 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports unless Beijing withdraws the 34 per cent retaliatory tariff on US goods. Although the US president mentioned that he was open to revising some aspects of the plan.

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A divide between Musk and Trump?

The recent encounter between Trump and Musk appears to be the most significant disagreement, which comes after Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations.

Some analysts believe Musk’s inability to persuade the US president highlights the growing divide between Trump and his top advisor.

The world’s richest person has been sharing his views on tariffs through his social media. Recently, Musk posted a video of the late conservative economist Milton Friedman, who touted the benefits of international trade cooperation through what he referred to as “the impersonal operation of prices”, describing the source materials that make it possible to produce a simple wooden pencil as an example.

Trump’s tariffs have shaken the international markets around the world, causing the stock markets to crash on Monday (Apr 7). Trump’s billionaire allies, including Musk, saw a decline in their wealth. The Tesla CEO’s fortune is seeing a decline of $300 billion for the first time since last year, according to reports.

Recently, Musk attended a conference hosted by Italy’s right-wing party advocating for a tariff-free economic zone between the US and the EU.

“That has certainly been my advice to the president,” he told the attendees.

Musk slams trade advisor

Musk also had a clash with Peter Navarro, a prominent Trump loyalist and White House trade adviser. Navarro is reportedly the driving force behind the tariff campaign. The two exchanged insults on social media on Monday (Apr 7).

A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing.

Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem.

The DOGE chief not only slammed Navarro’s Harvard PhD degree in economics, but also criticised a commenter who praised the Trump advisor, saying “He ain’t built sh*t.”

(With inputs from agencies)