Elon Musk personally tried to persuade US President Donald Trump to soften his stance on trade tariffs, sources said, reports The Washington Post.

Over the weekend, Musk used his social media platform, X, to lambast White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

Also, Musk quietly reached out directly to Trump, asking him to reconsider the tariffs, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Musk’s plea supposedly fell on deaf ears, as on Monday, Trump threatened to introduce an additional 50 percent tax on Chinese imports if the nation doesn’t “withdraw its retaliatory measures.”

Also, Musk posted a video of economist Milton Friedman advocating free market policies.

The differences in positions between Trump and Musk on tariffs are the most visible conflict at the moment between the president and his adviser. Musk spoke out against trade tariffs during Trump’s first presidency, when Tesla tried to challenge tariffs on car imports from China in court.

Many of the businessmen who supported Trump’s candidacy during the election campaign were shocked by the US president’s decision to impose such high tariffs, sources told The Washington Post. A group of businessmen from among Trump’s supporters have begun working on the creation of an informal group that will focus on lobbying for a more moderate trade policy.