Elon Musk's Brother Kimbal Musk Calls Trump 'Most High Tax American President In Generations,' Warns Tariffs Are A 'Permanent Tax' On US Consumers

Tesla Inc. TSLA board member Kimbal Musk criticized President Donald Trump‘s tariff policies Monday, calling him “the most high tax American President in generations” through his implementation of what Musk described as a “structural, permanent tax on the American consumer.”

What Happened: In a series of posts on X, Musk, the brother of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, argued that tariffs create a cycle of economic harm: “A tax on consumption also means less consumption, which means less jobs. Which in turn leads to less consumption. And then even fewer jobs.”

When asked why other countries would care about U.S. tariffs if American consumers bear the cost, Kimbal Musk responded: “Other countries care because a tax reduces consumption of their goods. Reduced consumption does not create more jobs in America. The net outcome is less jobs on both sides of the borders, and higher prices in America.”