Musk publicly criticizes "Tariff Man" Navarro, calls for free trade, even EU-US "zero tariffs"
Original Article Title: "Musk Publicly Criticizes 'Tariff Man' Navarro, Calls for Free Trade, Even EU-US 'Zero Tariff'"
Original Article Author: Pan Lingfei, Wall Street News
As this so-called "Tariff Man," a close ally of Trump, publicly questions the White House's trade strategy, investors need to be alert to the internal divisions and policy uncertainties that the US "economic restructuring" plan may face.
Musk suddenly opposes trade barriers, calling for a zero-tariff free trade zone between the US and Europe, sharply differing from the Trump administration's tariff policy.
After Trump announced a new comprehensive tariff policy that caused a two-day stock market plunge, Musk suddenly broke his silence on trade policy, publicly criticizing Trump's chief trade adviser Navarro and calling for a more open trade environment.
Just in Tesla stock alone, Musk lost nearly $18 billion. As this so-called "close ally of Trump" begins to publicly question the White House's trade strategy, investors need to be alert to the internal divisions and policy uncertainties that the US "economic restructuring" plan may face.
Musk and Navarro's Public Conflict
On Friday morning, Musk responded sharply on his social media platform X to a user's defense of Navarro. The user claimed that Navarro, as a Harvard economics PhD holder, had a say in tariff issues.
In the early hours of Saturday, Musk clearly expressed a different opinion: "Having an economics PhD from Harvard is a bad idea, not a good one," he wrote, implying that such a background would make one "more self-important than wise."

A reader quoted Thomas Sowell's saying: In every disaster in American history, there is always someone from Harvard. Musk immediately replied "yes," indicating his agreement.

When another user further defended Navarro, Musk responded more bluntly, saying, "He has never accomplished anything."

Remarkable Turnaround: Musk Calls for US-EU Zero Tariff
More notably, according to Bloomberg, Musk then attended an Italian political event via video on Saturday, where he publicly called for the elimination of trade barriers.
"In my opinion, Europe and the US should ideally move toward a zero-tariff state, effectively establishing a free trade area between Europe and North America," Musk said at the event.
This stance is in stark contrast to the tariff policy recently announced by the Trump administration, demonstrating a clear divergence on trade issues from Musk, who was once seen as an ally of Trump.
White House Response and Economic Team Discord
The White House has not yet responded to Musk's comments. Notably, apart from Navarro, there are other senior officials in the Trump administration's economic team who hold Harvard Economics Ph.D.s, including Economic Advisory Committee Chairman Stephen Miran.
Recently, Navarro has appeared frequently on television programs to defend Trump's tariff plan, claiming it will bring in approximately $600 billion in new revenue annually. Trump has called these tariff measures an "economic revolution" and stated that large corporations will ultimately benefit from the upcoming tax cut policy.
Musk's Relationship with the Trump Administration May Cool Down
On Thursday, Trump suggested that Musk may step back from government work in the coming months. As the head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), Musk recently stated that much of his work on reducing a $1 trillion deficit may soon be completed.
With Musk's sudden public intervention on trade policy, the U.S.'s efforts to reshape the global economic order may face more uncertainty. Investors should closely monitor the potential impact of this divergence on market and economic policy direction.
You may also like

Abraxas Capital Mints $2.89 Billion USDT: Liquidity Boost or Just More Stablecoin Arbitrage?
Abraxas Capital just received $2.89 billion in freshly minted USDT from Tether. Is this a bullish liquidity injection for crypto markets, or is it business as usual for a stablecoin arbitrage giant? We analyze the data and the likely impact on Bitcoin, altcoins, and DeFi.

A VC from the Crypto world said AI is too crazy, and they are very conservative

The Evolutionary History of Contract Algorithms: A Decade of Perpetual Contracts, the Curtain Has Yet to Fall

Kicked out by PayPal, Musk aims to make a comeback in the cryptocurrency market

Solana ETF News: What Is a Solana ETF and Why Is Goldman Sachs Betting $108 Million on SOL?
Solana ETF news today shows Goldman Sachs disclosed a $108M position while total SOL ETF inflows reached $1.45B. Analysts now expect up to $6B in institutional demand as Solana trades 71% below its all-time high.

Bitcoin ETF News Today: $2.1B Inflows Signal Strong Institutional Demand for BTC
Bitcoin ETFs news recorded $2.1B inflows over 8 consecutive days, marking one of the strongest recent accumulation streaks. Here’s what the latest Bitcoin ETF news means for BTC price and whether the $80K breakout level is next.

Michael Saylor: Winter is Over – Is He Right? 5 Key Data Points (2026)
Michael Saylor tweeted yesterday “Winter‘s Over.” It is short. It is bold. And it has the crypto world talking.
But is he right? Or is this just another CEO pumping his bags?
Let us look at the data. Let us be neutral. Let us see if the ice has really melted.

WEEX Bubbles App Now Live Visualizes the Crypto Market at a Glance
WEEX Bubbles is a standalone app designed to help users quickly understand complex crypto market movements through an intuitive bubble visualization.

Polygon co-founder Sandeep: Writing after the chain bridge chain explosion

Major Upgrade on Web: 10+ Advanced Chart Styles for Deeper Market Insights
To deliver more powerful and professional analysis tools, WEEX has rolled out a major upgrade to its web trading charts—now supporting up to 14 advanced chart styles.

Morning Report | Aethir secures a $260 million enterprise contract with Axe Compute; New Fire Technology acquires Avenir Group's trading team; Polymarket's trading volume surpassed by Kalshi

Why a Million-Follower Crypto KOL Chooses WEEX VIP?
Discover why top crypto KOL Carl Moon partnered with WEEX. Explore the WEEX VIP ecosystem, 1,000 BTC protection fund, and exclusive rewards for serious traders.

CoinEx Founder: The Crypto Endgame in My Eyes

Spark Coin (SPK): Explodes 73% as Aave Bleeds $15B, A Good Investment Now?
Spark coin (SPK) surged 73% as $15 billion fled Aave after the KelpDAO hack. This article explains what Spark is, why it’s pumping, and whether it is a good investment right now.

As Aave's building collapses, Spark's high-rise is rising

RootData: Q1 2026 Cryptocurrency Exchange Transparency Research Report

What Is Memecoin Trading? A Beginner's Guide to How It Works, the Risks, and 2026's Hottest Tokens
Memecoins surged 30%+ at the start of 2026 while Bitcoin was flat. RAVE spiked 4,500% then crashed 90% in days. MAGA jumped 350% overnight. This guide explains exactly how memecoin trading works — and how to not blow up your account doing it.

Trump Extends Ceasefire: Bitcoin Hits $79K — What Crypto Traders Need to Know Right Now
Bitcoin surged past $79,000 after Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely. We break down exactly what happened, how every major crypto reacted, and what traders should watch next — including the one level that could unlock an $85,000 BTC rally.
Abraxas Capital Mints $2.89 Billion USDT: Liquidity Boost or Just More Stablecoin Arbitrage?
Abraxas Capital just received $2.89 billion in freshly minted USDT from Tether. Is this a bullish liquidity injection for crypto markets, or is it business as usual for a stablecoin arbitrage giant? We analyze the data and the likely impact on Bitcoin, altcoins, and DeFi.
A VC from the Crypto world said AI is too crazy, and they are very conservative
The Evolutionary History of Contract Algorithms: A Decade of Perpetual Contracts, the Curtain Has Yet to Fall
Kicked out by PayPal, Musk aims to make a comeback in the cryptocurrency market
Solana ETF News: What Is a Solana ETF and Why Is Goldman Sachs Betting $108 Million on SOL?
Solana ETF news today shows Goldman Sachs disclosed a $108M position while total SOL ETF inflows reached $1.45B. Analysts now expect up to $6B in institutional demand as Solana trades 71% below its all-time high.
Bitcoin ETF News Today: $2.1B Inflows Signal Strong Institutional Demand for BTC
Bitcoin ETFs news recorded $2.1B inflows over 8 consecutive days, marking one of the strongest recent accumulation streaks. Here’s what the latest Bitcoin ETF news means for BTC price and whether the $80K breakout level is next.





