Elon Musk criticized fellow Trump ally and administration official Peter Navarro after an X user complimented his tariff explanation.
On Friday, a person posted a video of Mr. Navarro, a trade adviser in the White House, telling CNN why tariffs work.
The X user praised Mr. Navarro for using “specific details instead of blank statements” and for having a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard.
In a response on Saturday, Mr. Musk said a Ph.D. from Harvard “is a bad thing, not a good thing.”
“Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem,” he wrote.
Another user jumped in to defend Mr. Navarro, saying he was “correct” about tariffs.
Mr. Musk again hit at Mr. Navarro, replying that he “ain’t built s—-.”
President Trump on Wednesday implemented a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, plus reciprocal levies on “worst offender” countries.
China’s tariff rate of 67% will see a 34% rate from the U.S. on top of the previous 20%. The European Union’s 39% rate will draw a 20% rate from the U.S. Mr. Trump is also imposing a 25% tariff on cars made outside the country.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Navarro say the tariffs will help America counter huge levies imposed by countries all over the world.
Mr. Musk might be saying goodbye to his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency soon. Mr. Trump told reporters Thursday on Air Force One that “there’ll be a point where he’s gonna have to leave.”
When asked when, Mr. Trump said, “I would think a few months.”
