Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk slammed Governor Tim Walz (D-Minn.) during an interview, accusing him of being a “cr**p” for mocking his EV company’s stock price decline.
What Happened: Appearing on the special report with Bret Baier, Musk referenced an event held by Walz in Wisconsin on March 18, where the governor joked about Tesla’s sliding stock.
“On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day,” Walz quipped, adding, “$225 and dropping,” as the crowd laughed.
Musk didn’t take the joke lightly. “I mean, you have Tim Walz, who’s a huge j**k, you know, running around on stage with the Tesla stock price, where the stock price had gone in half,” Musk said.
“And he was overjoyed. What an evil thing to do, what a creep, what a j**k. Like, who derives joy from that?”
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Why It’s Important: The Tesla chief’s comments come as his electric vehicle company has seen its stock plunge over 30.51% year-to-date amid waning demand for EVs, pricing pressures, and questions over a reported $1.4 billion gap in capital expenditures.
Walz has also commented on the backlash he received after mocking Tesla stock, saying, “I have to be careful about being a smart**s. I was making a joke. These people have no sense of humor.”
Previously, Kevin O’Leary criticized Walz, calling his remarks “beyond stu**d,” noting that Minnesota’s State Board of Investment owns about 1.6 million Tesla shares through its retirement fund.
“What’s the matter with that guy? He doesn’t check the well-being of his own constituents? What a bozo,” O’Leary said.
Walz, who was former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential race, has been an outspoken critic of both Musk and the Donald Trump administration, where the Tesla CEO currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency.
Price Action: Tesla’s stock fell 3.51% during Friday’s regular trading session, closing at $263.55, and slipped another 1.34% in after-hours trading to $260.02. Over the past year, the stock has climbed 50.41%, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Benzinga’s Edge Rankings assigns TSLA a 68.11% growth rating. Curious how it stacks up against other EV giants? Click here for the full breakdown.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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