--- title: "Elon Musk Reportedly Begged Donald Trump to Reverse the Tariffs" description: "Trump's close ally and number one henchman Elon Musk has reportedly been begging him to reconsider the tariffs." date: "2025-04-08" modified: "2025-04-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-reportedly-begged-donald-trump-reverse-tariffs" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "tariffs" - "tesla" - "white house" --- # Elon Musk Reportedly Begged Donald Trump to Reverse the Tariffs ![Trump's close ally and number one henchman Elon Musk has reportedly been begging him to reconsider the tariffs.]() *\Image: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images\* Donald Trump's brutal tariff war is already [rattling the global economy]() — and the resolve of business leaders everywhere. Look no further than the president's close ally and number one henchman Elon Musk, who the [*Washington Post* reports]() has been personally begging Trump to reconsider behind closed doors. Over the weekend, Musk broke rank and [railed against the architect]() of Trump's catastrophic tariff policy, advisor on trade and manufacturing, Peter Navarro. But Trump doubled down, [threatening to add new 50 percent tariffs]() on imports from China, meaning that Musk's personal pleas have been to no avail — indicating a growing and intriguing rift between the two. After spending months together on the campaign trail and then at the White House, could the honeymoon phase now be crumbling as Trump's economic ambitions clash with Musk's business realities? Less than a month ago, Trump turned the White House lawn [into a Tesla showroom]() in a desperate attempt to prop up his ally's ailing carmaker. The schism between the two has widened considerably since then, with Musk [telling]() Italian right-wing populist political party Lega that he'd like to see a "zero-tariff situation" and a "free trade zone" between Europe and the US. "If people wish to work in Europe or wish to work in North America, they should be allowed to do so, in my view," Musk said at a Saturday meeting, via a video link. On Monday, Musk [posted a widely-circulated video]() of economist Milton Friedman explaining that the manufacturing of pencils requires complex supply chains, which free trade enables. Musk [also mocked]() the Trump administration for [imposing tariffs on islands]() exclusively populated by penguins. It's an especially noteworthy change of tune as Musk is [expected to leave his post]() as the unofficial lead of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in the coming months. Instead of leveraging the US' position as a world power with the largest GDP, Trump has cratered international relations and undermined goodwill with the nation's longtime trading partners. The exact reasoning for the president's [not-at-all "reciprocal" tariff war]() remains murky at best, with economists largely shaking their heads in disbelief. "This is simply a 'spectacle' of failed economic policies," Li Daokui, one of China's most influential economists, [told *Agence France-Presse*](). "It is hard to imagine that there is any other economic policy that can make people around the world, including people in the United States itself, suffer losses at the same time." How the turmoil will affect Musk's many businesses remains to be seen. The mercurial CEO has [previously claimed]() that the "tariff impact on Tesla is still significant" as a result of Trump targeting the auto industry. It's the perfect storm for Tesla, which was already reeling from a [tarnished brand]() and [tanking sales]() well before Trump announced the latest round of tariffs. "The backlash from Trump tariff policies in China and Musk’s association will be hard to understate," Wedbush Securities analyst and longtime Tesla bull Dan Ives [wrote in a note to clients on Sunday](). "Tesla has essentially become a political symbol globally... and that is a very bad thing for the future of this disruptive tech stalwart and the brand crisis tornado that has now turned into an F5 tornado." "This is a full blown crisis Tesla is navigating now (along with these tariffs), and it is time for Musk to step up, read the room, and be a leader in this time of uncertainty," Ives added. Musk's brother has also publicly criticized Trump for his catastrophic trade policy. "Who would have thought that Trump was actually the most high tax American President in generations," Kimbal Musk [wrote]() in a post on his brother's platform Monday. "Through his tariff strategy, Trump has implemented a structural, permanent tax on the American consumer." **More on Trump and Musk:** *[Elon Musk Breaks Rank, Rages Against Donald Trump's Tariffs]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()