The US has allowed Trump and Musk to clash over course toward China
US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk may have a disagreement on the topic of duties against China, retired Marine Captain Matthew Ho, a US journalist, has said.
"I think Musk and Trump are somewhat on a collision course if Trump is serious about 60 percent duties for China," he said on the air of the YouTube channel Dialogue Works.
The expert recalled that in December 2024, Musk influenced the revision of the draft US budget. As a result, provisions that could harm the billionaire's business in China were removed from the document, Ho noted.
In this regard, he admitted that if the head of the White House continues to take a hard line on China, he will face Musk.
On January 22, Trump again threatened to impose duties of 10% on imports from China. He cited shipments of fentanyl from the PRC to Canada and Mexico as the basis for such a measure. The Chinese embassy in Washington responded by saying there are no winners in the tariff war and called for respecting the cooperation between the two countries.
In late December 2024, it was reported that Musk forced the U.S. Congress to revise the draft budget on Christmas Eve by writing more than 150 social media posts. The Politico publication pointed to the resulting frustration with Speaker Mike Johnson and divisions among Republicans.
