Elon Musk Personally Urged Trump to Rethink Aggressive Tariffs

The world’s richest man and one of Donald Trump’s advisors, Elon Musk, has publicly criticized the US president’s tariff policy. Other billionaires have joined him in his criticism.

According to The Washington Post, Musk voiced his dissatisfaction on social media, taking aim at one of Trump’s top White House advisors, Peter Navarro. He also personally urged Trump to reconsider his aggressive tariff plan.

So far, Musk’s attempt to influence Trump’s trade policy has not been successful, although two sources familiar with the matter confirmed his active involvement, according to the Washington Post. On April 7, Trump threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on imports from China – on top of the already announced 34% – though he said he was open to negotiating certain aspects of the plan.

Many business and tech leaders who had supported Trump were stunned by his decision to impose such high tariffs and equally frustrated by their limited influence on the administration’s policy direction, the sources said.

People close to Musk reportedly reached out directly to allies within Trump’s inner circle, including Vice President JD Vance and Musk himself, advocating for a more balanced approach in favor of free trade.

In an interview over the weekend with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Musk said he would like to see a “free trade zone” between Europe and the United States:

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“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 also expressed support for greater freedom of movement between Europe and the US, allowing people to live and work where they wish.

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

The rift between Musk and Trump over economic priorities marks the most high-profile disagreement between the president and one of his key allies. Musk has invested nearly $290 million in supporting Trump’s campaign and has led efforts to cut costs in since January as head of the so-called DOGE Service.