Posted Criticism of Tariff Policy on X
President Imposing Highest Taxes in Decades
Musk Also Voices Dissent... Calls for a Tariff-Free System
Kimberl Musk, the sister of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy on the 7th (local time), calling it a "permanent tax." Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, also expressed a differing opinion after President Trump imposed a 10%+ alpha reciprocal tariff, stating that "we should move toward a tariff-free system."
On the same day, she pointed out on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Trump's tariffs are a "structural and permanent tax on American consumers," and said that Trump "seems like the U.S. president imposing the highest taxes in decades."
She added, "Even if tariffs succeed in bringing jobs back domestically, prices will still remain high, and the tax on consumption will ultimately remain in the form of higher prices," explaining, "It's simply because we are not that good at making things."
Kimberl Musk is a member of Tesla's board and owns a franchise of the restaurant 'The Kitchen.' She has served as a director of Musk's space company SpaceX and has co-founded or invested in numerous food and technology startups.
Elon Musk, who was once considered a close ally of President Trump, did not directly criticize the Trump administration's tariff policy but targeted Peter Navarro, the White House trade and manufacturing advisor known as Trump's "tariff strategist." On X (formerly Twitter), in response to a netizen stating that "Navarro holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University," Musk commented, "A Harvard economics Ph.D. is not a good thing but a bad one," arguing that "ego is a bigger problem than brains."
On the 5th, Musk delivered a virtual speech at an event hosted by the Italian far-right party La Liga, saying, "I hope the U.S. and Europe build a very close partnership," and "Ideally, I hope we move toward a tariff-free system and effectively create a free trade zone." This statement appeared to support free trade amid the Trump administration's imposition of various tariffs and protectionist barriers.
This remark came after President Trump announced on the 2nd a reciprocal tariff measure imposing tariffs of 10% or more on all countries as a basic tariff rate. Foreign media such as CNN interpreted Musk's remarks as expressing a view opposing Trump's tariff policy.
After Musk disparaged Navarro by saying he "has achieved nothing," Navarro retaliated by belittling Musk as a "car assembler," sparking a war of words.
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