Trump’s Team of Rivals: Musk v Navarro

Trump’s House Divided may come down to 2 camps, one led by “Car Assembler” Musk, the other by “Moron” Navarro. That’s THEIR words, not mine. But the comments reflect a fight between competing factions on implementing Trump’s economic policies.

The WSJ op ed titled “Why Musk vs. Navarro Matters,” set the now public dispute this way: “Elon Musk opined on the internet Tuesday that WH trade advisor Peter Navarro is ‘truly a moron’ and ‘dumber than a sack of bricks.’ Mr. Navarro had told a TV show that Mr. Musk, CEO of Tesla, isn’t a real car manufacturer but a mere ‘assembler’ of foreign parts.” The editors conceded that this squabbling “isn’t exactly Lincoln’s Team of Rivals,” yet they argue, which side prevails more often is likely to determine whether Mr. Trump’s economic policy succeeds.”

The division between the factions were described thusly: “Mr. Musk represents a segment of Mr. Trump’s 2024 coalition – call it Silicon Valley MAGA – that is libertarianish & believes in freeing the US economy to grow & dominate the future, benefiting all Americans. It favors pro-growth tax & regulatory policy & robust legal immigration to attract the world’s brightest minds. Mr. Navarro is part of the Steve Bannon wing of MAGA, which wants to put US industries behind the high tariff walls Trump's now imposing. This faction distrusts corporations, esp Big Tech & pharma & it doesn’t mind higher taxes & using gov't power to punish political enemies.” WSJ thinks Musk is mostly right, his opponent he called “Peter Retarddo,” wrong: Musk “isn’t a flunky whom Mr. Trump can consign to oblivion by firing & he’s saying things the President ought to hear. He represents the aspirational wing of MAGA-land that is the best part of Trumpanomics.”

Davd Soul