Elon Musk slams Tim Walz over Tesla stock joke: ‘What a jerk’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk lashed out at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticising him for mocking Tesla’s stock price decline. Musk labeled Walz “a huge jerk” after the Democrat publicly joked about Tesla’s share performance earlier this month.

“I mean, you have Tim Walz, who’s a huge jerk, you know, running around on stage with the Tesla stock price, where the stock price had gone in half, and he was overjoyed,” Musk said. “What an evil thing to do. What a creep. What a jerk.”

“Like, who derives joy from that?” he added.

Walz’s remarks on Tesla stock

During an event in Wisconsin earlier this month, Walz, who ran alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, mocked Tesla’s stock drop, which was trading at $225 per share at the time—down 54% from its peak late last year.

“Some of you know this. On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day—$225 and dropping,” Walz said on stage. “And if you own one, we’re not blaming you. You can take dental floss and pull the Tesla thing off.”

Walz attempts to walk back comments

Facing backlash, Walz tried to soften his stance earlier this week during a town hall in Minnesota. He admitted that his remarks may have gone too far.

“This guy bugs me in a way that’s probably unhealthy,” Walz said, referring to Musk. “I have to be careful about being a smarta–. I was making a joke. These people have no sense of humor. They are the most literal people.”

“But my point was, they’re all mad, and I said something I probably shouldn’t have about a company,” he added.

Musk: Government role hurting Tesla

Musk also argued that his involvement in government affairs has negatively impacted his businesses, rather than helping them.

“It is actually disadvantageous for me to be in the government, not advantageous,” Musk stated. “My companies are suffering because I’m in the government,” he said, pointing to increasing attacks on Tesla dealerships, vehicle owners, and charging stations.

“Do you think it helps sales if, you know, dealerships are being firebombed? Of course not.”

Musk on new tariffs

Musk also weighed in on the Trump administration’s new 25% tariff on foreign-made vehicles and parts, noting that while the measure favors domestic automakers, Tesla is still affected.

“To be clear, this will affect the price of parts in Tesla cars that come from other countries. The cost impact is not trivial,” he wrote on X. In a separate post, he added: “Important to note that Tesla is NOT unscathed here. The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant.”

Musk’s comments highlight the ongoing tensions between his leadership, government policies, and political figures, as Tesla navigates stock fluctuations, public scrutiny, and evolving trade regulations.