German Economy Minister Robert Habeck is trying to exploit divisions over tariff policy between President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk.
Via journalist Walter Bloomberg, Habeck pointed to recent remarks from Musk saying he would like there to be a total free trade zone between America and Europe in which no one charges tariffs on imports.
"What Elon Musk said on tariffs is a sign of weakness and fear, he should talk to his president," Habeck said.
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Musk over the weekend took shots at Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for the massive tariffs Trump has levied against the entire world, and he posted a video on his X account on Monday morning that lauded the value of international trade.
Regardless, Trump has indicated that he is completely unwilling to budge on tariffs, which he has said are part of a strategy to make the United States "rich" despite the fact that they are a regressive tax whose burden primarily falls on American consumers.