Musk has become the "number one traitor" of tariff policy, loudly calling for "zero tariffs between the US and Europe"

Musk collides head-on with Trump's global tariff order, blasting White House tariff operator Navarro.

Elon Musk said on Saturday that he hopes to establish a "zero tariff" system between the United States and Europe, which would effectively create a "free trade zone." Days ago, tariffs set by US President Trump caused chaos in global markets.

"It seems to me that it would be better for Europe and the United States to have zero tariffs and a free trade zone between Europe and North America," Musk told Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

His speech at a right-wing League party rally in Florence was in stark contrast to Trump's imposition of global tariffs. Musk has been a key adviser to Trump since January this year, and before that he was a major donor to Trump's campaign.

Trump has repeatedly accused the European Union of being unfair, saying the group was set up to "bring down" the United States. His vice president, JD Vance, has accused Europeans of "being afraid of their own voters" and said that European values are running counter to the United States.

Trump announced a 20% tariff on goods entering the United States from the European Union last Wednesday. The EU has said it prefers a negotiated settlement but is prepared to retaliate with countermeasures if necessary, including imposing its own tariffs, taxes on services and targeting U.S. technology companies.

Earlier on Saturday, Musk appeared to take a swipe at Peter Navarro, a senior White House official who has long pushed for a maximalist policy on tariffs.

Musk posted a series of responses on X, suggesting that Navarro's Harvard degree was "a bad thing" and that Navarro, a former economics professor who served in Trump's first term, had never built anything.

Musk, who often appears in the Oval Office, has an interim role in the Trump administration and is not directly involved in trade policy. Trump said last week that Musk is likely to leave the White House "in a few months."

Tesla Inc., which makes many of its electric vehicles in California and Texas, has been less affected by Trump's auto tariffs than other automakers. But Musk said Tesla, which has a large presence in other countries, would also feel some pain.

In his speech in Florence, Musk added that he also wants a deeper partnership between the United States and Europe and greater mobility for people who want to work in the United States or Europe.

“That is certainly my advice to the president,” he told attendees via video link. He did not elaborate on whether the advice involved tariffs, freedom of movement or both.

Salvini has launched a charm offensive against Musk in recent weeks amid signs that relations between the billionaire and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were beginning to cool.

Bloomberg News reported in March that Italy had doubts about a planned 1.5 billion euro ($1.64 billion) purchase of SpaceX’s Starlink system because of major geopolitical shifts.

Musk is expected to step down from his post leading the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after his 130-day stint as an interim adviser to Trump ends, but will remain close to Trump.