'Feel sorry for him': Trump aide responds on CNN after Musk calls him 'dumber than bricks'
Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro claimed Thursday that he felt sorry for Elon Musk just days after the two engaged in a public war of words.
On Tuesday, Navarro referred to Musk as a "car assembler," not a manufacturer. Navarro was referring to the fact that many parts for Musk's Tesla electric vehicles are imported before they're assembled in Texas.
"Navarro is truly a moron," Musk wrote on X. "What he says here is demonstrably false."
In a follow-up post, Musk claimed that Navarro was "dumber than a sack of bricks," before Musk "sarcastically apologized to bricks."
On Thursday, CNN's Kasie Hunt asked if Navarro had "patched it up" with Musk.
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"Elon and I are fine, we're great, it's no problem," Navarro maintained. "I said that earlier. It's like, it's no problem."
Musk reportedly tried to talk Trump out of imposing his sweeping tariffs, which led to days of stock market free-fall before Trump announced Wednesday that he was issuing a 90-day reprieve. Musk even posted a video to his X account in which he called for a free-trade zone between the U.S. and Europe.
Navarro continued, "Look, he's he's got a job to do; I got a job to do. The president values Elon. He's doing a great job on DOGE, and he's paying a very heavy price. And I feel sorry for him on that. Nobody should have their cars firebombed by crazy people. That's just wrong. And nobody should be doing the kinds of things they're doing."
He added, "My job is trade; Elon does DOGE and the twain doesn't meet. And it's great. I mean...that's a tempest in a teapot and it's in my rearview mirror, and it's in his. And we're fine."