Musk Asked Trump to Withdraw Duties: What We Know
April 8, 2025, 2:50 AM PDT — Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and a key adviser to President Donald Trump, reportedly urged the president to reverse his sweeping tariff policies over the weekend of April 5-6, marking a significant rift within Trump’s inner circle. As global markets reel from the fallout of Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement—a 10% baseline duty on all imports, with higher levies like 34% on China and 25% on Canada and Mexico—the clash between Musk and Trump has thrust their relationship into the spotlight. Here’s what we know so far about Musk’s push to withdraw the duties and its implications.
The Appeal: Musk’s Direct Plea
According to The Washington Post, Musk made personal appeals to Trump over the weekend, pressing him to roll back the tariffs that have tanked stocks and sparked fears of a trade war. Two sources familiar with the private talks, speaking anonymously, confirmed Musk’s intervention, though specifics of their conversations remain murky. The move followed Trump’s Monday escalation, when he threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods atop the existing 34%, effective Wednesday, April 9, if China doesn’t relent on its retaliatory 34% duties. Musk’s pleas, per the report, were unsuccessful, with Trump telling reporters on Air Force One Sunday, “Not considering a pause—negotiations and tariffs are not mutually exclusive.”
Musk’s public stance amplifies the story. On Saturday, April 5, during a video call with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, he advocated for a “zero-tariff situation” between the U.S. and Europe, envisioning a “free trade zone.” Posts on X from that day show him slamming trade adviser Peter Navarro’s credentials—“A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing”—and sharing a Milton Friedman video on Monday extolling free trade’s virtues, a subtle jab at Trump’s protectionism. Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother, piled on, calling the tariffs a “permanent tax on consumers” in an X post Monday, underscoring familial dissent.
Why Musk Cares
Musk’s push isn’t altruistic—his business empire’s at stake. Tesla, which dropped 5.6% Monday amid a $5 trillion S&P 500 rout, faces higher costs for imported parts despite its U.S. factories. A Tesla letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, reported by NPR in March, warned that tariffs could trigger retaliatory levies on its electric vehicles abroad, denting global sales already down 13% this quarter. SpaceX, too, sought tariff exemptions on Chinese equipment for Starlink terminals last month, per The Telegraph. Musk’s net worth has shed $30.9 billion since the tariff rollout, per CNBC, a hit he’s not taking quietly.
His role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) adds complexity. While slashing federal spending aligns with Trump’s agenda, Musk’s tariff stance clashes with architects like Navarro and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who defend the duties as leverage. Posts on X speculate Musk’s DOGE tenure—set to end in May after a 130-day special employee stint—might be cut short if tensions escalate, though Trump praised him Monday as “amazing” but hinted he’ll return to Tesla “at some point.”
Trump’s Response and the Fallout
Trump’s dug in. His Truth Social posts boast of tariffs bringing “TRILLIONS back to America,” claiming China’s “hit harder, not even close.” Yet the market begs to differ—the Dow fell 1,400 points pre-market Monday, and companies like Jaguar Land Rover paused U.S. shipments, per AP News. Over 50 countries have sought talks to lower rates, per Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, but Trump’s openness to negotiation hasn’t swayed his core strategy. “Sometimes you have to take medicine,” he told The New Republic Sunday, shrugging off a reporter’s market-pain query as “stupid.”
Musk’s break has fueled division narratives. Al Jazeera notes his Navarro spat signals cracks in Trump’s team, while Sky News pegs it as the “highest-profile disagreement” yet. Posts on X range from “Musk’s waking up to Trump’s chaos” to “Elon’s just protecting his bottom line.” China’s Monday accusation of U.S. “economic bullying” and its 34% counter-tariffs only heighten the stakes.
What’s Next?
Musk hasn’t detailed his next move—neither Tesla nor the White House responded to queries—but his X activity suggests he’s not backing down. Trump, meanwhile, faces pressure from allies like Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington Monday to negotiate, and a Senate rebuke vote Tuesday blocking Canada tariffs, per NBC News. With the 50% China duties looming and Musk’s influence tested, this clash could reshape Trump’s economic playbook—or fracture his coalition. For now, the tariff tempest rages, and what Musk knows, or can sway, remains a critical unknown.
