Billionaire economics influencer Elon Musk rattled some MAGA adherents this week after he expressed a desire to see “zero tariffs” between Europe and the United States, a call that seemed to portend a split between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk made his “zero” call soon after his sometime boss Trump announced huge U.S. tariffs for countries across the globe, setting off a stock market sell-off and fears of recession and worse.
Musk, whose various businesses do business all over the world, would love to see less — not more — friction with governments impeding free trade. In expressing his zero wish, Musk took direct aim at Trump’s top trade advisor Peter Navarro, whose tariff convictions, like Trump’s, remain — for the moment — unshaken. Navarro bit back at the world’s richest industrialist, Musk, calling the Tesla CEO a mere “car assembler.”
Wow. Elon is attacking Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro on the tariffs.
Musk lost $18 billion on Tesla stock alone this week. pic.twitter.com/jWxkapIPLG
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) April 5, 2025
Because Trump’s power and Musk’s influence have long seemed on an inevitable collision course, despite what both called a close friendship, an image of the two men got a lot of attention this weekend. It featured Trump seeming to point an accusing finger at Musk. Was this the break — were tariffs going to be the line separating the two men?
Meme this image please.
Please accept this challenge. Reply back with your memes!
#MemeThis #Musk #Trump
— Schmingy – Elbows Up!
(@sirschming.bsky.social) April 7, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman doesn’t speculate on the relationship, but offers perspective about the “zero tariffs” Musk is calling for — and the difference between that and Trump’s 20% rate on the European Union.
Krugman
— fuginugly (@fuginugly.bsky.social) April 7, 2025 at 9:07 AM
While zero sounds like a daring new world, Krugman — assailing Musk’s understanding of tariffs, economics, and the current status of U.S. trade — points out the following: “I think it’s safe to assume that Musk has no idea that trans-Atlantic tariffs were, in fact, close to zero in 2024: The average European Union tariff on U.S. goods was 1.7%, the average U.S. tariff on EU goods was 1.4%.”
In other words, Musk’s view doesn’t represent radical change, while Trump’s view clearly does. Krugman takes his data from the World Trade Organization.