Even Tesla Says It’s Worried About Trump Tariffs
Elon Musk’s car company is warning that the president’s plans will backfire on manufacturers.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Turns out even Elon Musk’s own company thinks President Donald Trump’s trade war is a disaster. Electric-vehicle maker Tesla sent an unsigned letter warning the Trump administration that its chaotic tariff policy is exposing U.S. manufacturers to retaliatory tariffs that could make American-made vehicles more expensive and less competitive overseas, the Financial Times reported. The letter, filed with the U.S. trade representative, is basically a polite way of saying the government’s erratic trade moves are bad for Tesla, a source told the FT. “It is unsigned because nobody at the company wants to be fired for sending it,” the source added. Musk, who has become one of Trump’s biggest political allies and runs the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is watching Tesla’s stock plunge 40 percent this year as consumers recoil from both his politics and the broader economic instability triggered by Trump’s trade policies.
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