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Shapiro Breaks with Trump, Backs Musk on Tariff Policy Concerns
In a surprising move, prominent conservative commentator and MAGA loyalist Ben Shapiro has publicly diverged from President Trump, endorsing Elon Musk’s critique of the administration’s tariff policies. Shapiro challenged the notion that tariffs benefit American businesses, asserting that Musk is “100 percent right” in his assessment. This stance highlights a growing debate around trade policy and its potential economic impacts, pitting Trump’s advisor Peter Navarro against voices like Musk and Shapiro.
Shapiro Voices Support for Musk’s Zero-Tariff Approach
Shapiro dismantled the idea of tariffs as advantageous for the U.S. economy, stating unequivocally on Monday, “Musk happens to be 100 percent right about this.” This declaration came despite Musk’s general alignment with the president on various key issues since Trump’s return to the political forefront. However, Musk has openly opposed tariffs, revealing a conflict with trade advisor Peter Navarro, a key architect of the current tariff strategy.
In a direct message to the former president, Shapiro urged Trump to heed Musk’s advice regarding tariff policy, advocating for a significant shift in approach.
Musk and Navarro Clash Over Trade Strategy
The public discord between Musk and Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, has escalated since the White House introduced its contentious reciprocal tariff policy. This policy has triggered market instability and raised international concerns about a potential global economic downturn.
Musk articulated his position on Saturday, expressing his desire for the United States to establish zero-tariff agreements with major trading partners.
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President Trump has claimed to be receiving numerous calls from global leaders eager to negotiate new, mutually beneficial trade agreements.
Shapiro Highlights Economic Benefits of Zero Tariffs
“Musk himself suggested that he wants a zero tariff situation, which again, this is the good explanation for why you would do the tariff game,” Shapiro elaborated. He then directly appealed to the former president: “I urge the president to do precisely what Musk is saying here. Go to zero with all these countries. Go to zero.”
Shapiro emphasized the potential benefits of adopting a zero-tariff policy, stating, “That’s a win, take the win, move on. That would be good for the economy, good for you, you’d have flexed your muscle, you’d flexed American muscle. That’d be good.”
Navarro Defends Tariffs, Dismisses Musk’s Criticism
Contrasting sharply with Musk’s and Shapiro’s stance, Navarro remains a staunch defender of tariffs, having long promoted them as crucial for economic success and playing a key role in shaping Trump’s policies.
Musk publicly criticized Navarro on the social media platform X, stating that Navarro “ain’t built s**t.”
Responding to a post highlighting Navarro’s economics Ph.D. from Harvard, Musk commented, “A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem.”
Navarro countered Musk’s remarks on Sunday, downplaying them in an interview, “He’s got X. He’s got a big microphone. We don’t mind him saying whatever he wants, but the American people need to understand that we know what this is all about.”
Navarro further added, “[Musk is] in Texas assembling cars that have big parts of that car from Mexico, China, Japan… the electronics come from Taiwan. He’s simply protecting his own interests as any business person would do.”
Shapiro Declares “Open Battle” and Sides with Musk
Despite Navarro’s attempts to downplay any conflict, Shapiro observed, “It was abundantly clear that there is ‘an open battle between Elon and Navarro.'”
Analyzing the dispute, Shapiro stated decisively, “Navarro is wrong, Elon is right.”
“It’s that simple. The reality is that Navarro’s trade prescriptions is this giant trade war where he believes the tariffs are in and of themselves good, not to get to zero. That is a bad economic policy,” Shapiro asserted.
Shapiro’s Broader Critique of Trump’s Tariff Policy
Shapiro’s disapproval of the tariffs was evident shortly after their announcement. Last week, he suggested they were “probably unconstitutional” and implemented “unilaterally.”
“[It’s] one of the biggest tax increases on American consumers in the history of America,” he argued.
He further cautioned that trade conflicts are detrimental and “not easy to win” without a clear strategy. Shapiro also dismissed the significance of trade deficits, pointing out that America’s trade surplus was substantial during the Great Depression.
Concerns Over Policy Rollout and Justifications
“The way that it was rolled out, with essentially kind of a surprise announcement… replete with contradictory justifications, statistics that are labeled one thing but are really not that thing. It opens itself up to all sorts of critiques from every side,” Shapiro commented, criticizing the tariff policy’s implementation.
During an appearance on the All In podcast, Shapiro highlighted the policy’s vulnerability to criticism, citing the example of tariffs being imposed on the McDonald Islands, which are uninhabited by humans and primarily populated by penguins.
Musk’s Influence and Government Ties Under Scrutiny
President Trump has faced questions and skepticism regarding Musk’s close relationship with the government and potential influence on policy decisions, fueled in part by Musk’s own actions.
Referencing an administration email offering voluntary redundancy to federal workers, titled ‘A Fork in the Road,’ Musk shared an image of a large fork on X. This action mirrored the framing of an email Musk sent to Twitter employees upon acquiring the platform, also titled ‘fork in the road,’ leading to speculation about Musk’s involvement in government policy.
Further fueling such speculation, employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development discovered an AI-generated video depicting Trump bowing before Musk, captioned: ‘Long live the real king.’
Musk’s Departure and White House Dynamics
Reports suggest that President Trump has indicated to his inner circle that Musk might depart from his government role sooner than initially anticipated.
Musk reportedly created friction with several of Trump’s aides, particularly with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Sources indicate that Musk allegedly treated Wiles, a highly influential figure in the White House, with a lack of deference.
Musk’s communication style, utilizing his extensive X platform to make sudden announcements and engage in provocative rhetoric, also reportedly caused unease.
For his part, Trump reportedly emphasized to Musk that he was considered staff and that Wiles was in charge.
Musk’s designation as a special government employee initially indicated a departure in May, but reports suggest an earlier exit amidst growing controversy, according to Politico.
White House Denies Rift
Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed reports of a strained relationship, labeling Politico’s “scoop” as “garbage.”
Leavitt clarified, “Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”