Trump Was Asked To Call Off Tariffs By Perhaps His Most-Trusted Adviser: Report

They ransacked federal agencies and axed jobs together, but US President Donald Trump’s expanding tariffs are apparently too much for even right-hand man Elon Musk.

So much so that Musk privately appealed to Trump to reverse the market-tanking measures in an “attempted intervention,” The Washington Post reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

But Musk’s alleged entreaty apparently didn’t work because Trump continued to saber-rattle on the trade war front, threatening to tack on 50% tariffs for Chinese goods.

Musk has expressed misgivings about the sweeping tariffs on his X platform but aimed his criticism at the likes of Trump adviser Peter Navarro, who is behind the strategy.

The Post dubbed Musk’s disagreement with the president as their “highest-profile disagreement” since Trump named him the leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

On Monday, Musk struck a somewhat conciliatory tone on the social platform he owns. He shared a post from a US trade rep that supported the “historic” tariffs and listed “unfair” trade practices of exporters. “Good points,” Musk wrote.

The multibillionaire definitely has some skin in the game as well. Musk has lost around $130 billion this year, and some of that is due to the tariff backlash.