Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz isn’t backing down from his criticism of Elon Musk. After Musk called him a “huge jerk” for celebrating Tesla’s stock drop, Walz fired back on social media with a sharp message: “I’ll stop making fun of your stock when you take your hands off social security.”
Musk Takes Aim, Walz Responds
In a recent Fox News interview, Musk blasted Walz for celebrating Tesla’s declining stock price, saying, “What an evil thing to do. What a creep, what a jerk. Like, who derives joy from that?”
He was referring to a moment when Walz pulled out his iPhone during a Wisconsin event and said, “225 and dropping,” as he tracked Tesla’s falling share price.
Musk, who has lost over $120 billion in net worth this year amid Tesla’s 40% stock plunge, said he sometimes finds relief by looking at a portrait of JD Vance in the White House. “Sometimes when I need a little boost, I look at the @JDVance portrait in the @WhiteHouse and thank the Lord,” Musk posted on X.
Walz later clarified he didn’t blame Tesla owners, but joked that they could “take dental floss and pull the Tesla [logo] off” their cars if they felt conflicted.
Behind the Tension
Much of the backlash stems from Musk’s leadership role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Trump.
His efforts to slash federal waste, cut staffing, and consolidate agencies have drawn heavy criticism, especially from those concerned about the future of programs like Social Security and Medicare.
In a Fox News segment, Musk and his DOGE team laid out their plans to overhaul the federal workforce and financial systems.
They claimed the government is so inefficient that it can’t even track where payments are going.
“There’s no way that any commercial company could possibly survive if it operated like the federal government,” Musk said.
While Musk insists he’s working to modernize and streamline bloated systems, critics argue his approach puts essential services at risk.
“We are 100% committed to protecting Medicare and Medicaid,” Brad Smith from the Health and Human Services Department at DOGE said, while also admitting to billions lost annually due to improper payments and fraud.
Political Heat Rises
Public backlash has intensified, with celebrities like Sheryl Crow and Elvira publicly ditching their Teslas and donating the proceeds to nonprofits. Attacks on Tesla vehicles, charging stations, and protests at dealerships have also surged. Even Tesla’s resale market is feeling the pressure.
In response, President Trump staged a photo op accepting a Tesla at the White House and pledged to crack down on anti-Tesla attacks. But the controversy continues, with Walz doubling down on his stance.
“Elon, I’ll make you a deal,” Walz wrote on X. “I’ll stop making fun of your stock when you take your hands off social security.”
For now, it looks like the war of words between Musk and Walz is far from over.