-(4)-1731951738-q80.webp){kind=small}
In yet another high-profile clash between political power and Silicon Valley, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and one of the most prominent figures in American tech and politics, fired back at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) over recent remarks mocking Tesla’s stock performance.
Musk didn’t hold back, calling Walz a “huge jerk” and criticizing what he viewed as a celebration of Tesla’s financial struggles.
The exchange, which played out across televised interviews, campaign rallies, and social media, is part of a broader political and cultural war surrounding Musk’s role in the Trump administration, the state of the electric vehicle market, and the increasing polarization of how technology leaders are perceived in public life.
The friction began earlier this month during a town hall event in Wisconsin, where Governor Walz made a pointed joke about Tesla’s declining stock price.
He told the crowd that he occasionally checks Tesla’s performance on his iPhone’s stock app to “give me a little boost during the day,” referencing the company’s drop in market value since the start of the year.
Walz used the opportunity to criticize not just Musk but also the sweeping government workforce reductions and funding freezes issued under President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial new department spearheaded by Musk and other administration officials.
His remarks were met with laughter and applause from some attendees but triggered backlash from Tesla supporters and free market conservatives who saw the comments as schadenfreude at the expense of American innovation.
During a recent interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Musk addressed Walz’s comments directly.
When asked about the drop in Tesla’s stock price and ongoing acts of vandalism against Tesla dealerships across the U.S. and Europe, Musk didn’t mince words.
“Think it would help sales if dealerships are being firebombed? Of course not. And Tesla customers are being intimidated all over the country and all over Europe,” Musk said. “Does that help Tesla?”
He then turned his attention to Walz directly:
“You have Tim Walz, who’s a huge jerk, running on stage when the Tesla stock price has gone in half, and he was overjoyed,” Musk added. “What an evil thing to do. What a creep, what a jerk.”
Musk expressed disbelief that a sitting governor would take joy in the financial difficulties of a major American employer.
“Like, who derives joy from that?” he asked. “Does that sound like a good person to you? I don’t think so.”
This war of words comes as the Trump administration ramps up its response to recent acts of vandalism against Tesla dealerships, labeling the attacks as “domestic terrorism.”
At least three suspects have been charged by the Department of Justice, and several more investigations are ongoing.
President Trump, who recently purchased a Tesla at a White House event in a show of support for Musk, has vowed that the federal government will “go after” those who, in Musk’s words, are spreading “lies and propaganda” about the EV company.
“The president’s made it clear,” Musk said. “We’re going to go after them—the ones pushing the lies, the ones funding the violence.”
Meanwhile, “Shark Tank” investor and business personality Kevin O’Leary also weighed in, criticizing Walz’s comments as “beyond stupid” and “not just anti-business, but anti-American.”
“Celebrating a company’s losses, especially one creating jobs and innovating in America’s future? That’s a terrible look for any elected official,” O’Leary said.
Tesla has faced a difficult few months amid falling sales, labor strikes in parts of Europe, increasing competition from Chinese EV companies, and internal restructuring under the DOGE initiative.
The Trump administration’s cost-cutting reforms have seen a shift toward automation and downsizing in government contracts, which has led to some disruptions in Tesla’s federal partnerships.
Despite this, Musk remains defiant. He continues to frame the attacks on Tesla—from political figures, labor unions, and activists—as part of a coordinated smear campaign.
He has warned that American innovation is being stifled by ideological hostility from the left and what he views as “bureaucratic sabotage.”
“They want to punish success,” Musk said. “They don’t like that Tesla’s independent, that we’re not part of the old machine.”
Walz Responds: “It Was a Joke”
In the wake of the backlash, Governor Walz has attempted to walk back his comments, saying he was simply “being a smarta–” and trying to inject humor into the conversation.
He denied any ill will toward Tesla or its workers and emphasized that his criticism was aimed at the Trump administration’s economic policies, not the company itself.
“I was making a joke. I get that people are sensitive right now, but it’s not like I want Tesla to fail,” Walz said during a local radio interview. “But I do have real concerns about how this administration is using federal resources.”
He also noted, somewhat ironically, that the Minnesota state pension fund is a major investor in Tesla stock—something Musk highlighted in his Fox interview.
“He was so overjoyed by Tesla stock going down,” Musk said. “Even when it hurts his own state’s investments. That tells you everything you need to know.”
The feud between Musk and Walz is emblematic of a larger cultural and political divide in America today: one where tech billionaires are either idolized or demonized depending on political affiliation, and where economic performance becomes a political football.
For Musk, the attacks are personal—and increasingly political. As a central figure in Trump’s government, with a direct role in shaping fiscal and regulatory policy through DOGE, Musk is no longer just a business leader.
He is now a deeply polarizing political actor, with enemies and allies on both sides of the aisle.
Whether this helps or hurts Tesla remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Elon Musk is not backing down. And neither, it seems, is Governor Tim Walz.
