A social media spat has erupted between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz after Walz joked about tracking Tesla’s struggling stock price for a “boost,” Fox News reports.
The exchange stemmed from a Wisconsin town hall event titled “The People vs. Musk” on Tuesday, where Walz, a former Democratic vice presidential candidate, held up his iPhone and said:
“On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day,” referencing Tesla’s stock slump, which has seen a 41.4% year-to-date decline as of March.
Walz also referred to Musk as an “un-elected, South African, nepo-baby” and suggested Tesla owners remove the company logo from their vehicles.
Musk fired back on X, referencing Ohio Senator JD Vance, who defeated Walz’s running mate in 2022.
“Sometimes when I need a little boost, I look at the @JDVance portrait in the White House and thank the Lord,” Musk wrote.
The White House’s rapid response team even joined the fray, posting on social media, “When we need a little boost during the day at the White House, we walk around the corner from our office and admire these beautiful portraits.”
Walz’s comments come amid a wave of vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles and facilities across the United States. Most recently, the FBI launched an investigation into a series of arson attacks against Tesla vehicles in Las Vegas.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has called the attacks “nothing short of domestic terrorism,” adding that the Department of Justice “has already charged several perpetrators.”
