Karoline Leavitt trolls Tim Walz's life as a 'sad existence' after he celebrates Tesla stock dip

WASHINGTON, DC: It looks like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz just made a new enemy - and she happens to be speaking from the White House podium. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not hold back after Walz gleefully celebrated Tesla’s stock nosedive, throwing some serious shade at the governor while she was at it.

It all began when Walz — Kamala Harris’ former running mate — took a not-so-subtle swipe at Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who’s been under fire over Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-related spending cuts. 

On Tuesday, March 18, Walz admitted that he actually keeps an eye on Tesla’s stock price - but not as an investor.

Tim Walz says the quiet part out loud

Speaking at a Democratic Party of Wisconsin event called "People v Musk," Tim Walz decided to take his Musk-bashing to the next level. Holding up his iPhone, he showed the audience a familiar little app.

"They’ve got that little stock app," he said, flashing his screen. "I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day."

"$225 and dropping," he declared, reveling in the stock’s decline.

"If you own one, we're not blaming you," Walz reassured the crowd. "You can take dental floss and pull the Tesla thing off, you know."

At one point, he called Musk a "South African nepo baby."

"There’s nothing conservative about an unelected South African nepo baby firing people at the VA," Walz said.

Musk was born in South Africa in 1971, moved to Canada in 1989, and later came to the US, eventually becoming an American citizen in 2002, per the New York Times.

Karoline Leavitt and Elon Musk fire back

Of course, the White House wasn’t about to let this one slide. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came out guns blazing when asked about Tim Walz’s anti-Tesla victory lap during Wednesday’s press briefing. "I think that’s quite sad," Leavitt said.

She twisted the knife further, hitting Walz where it really hurt. "I think that Governor Walz, unfortunately, is living a sad existence after his devastating defeat on November 5th," she added.

Walz has been on a full-fledged speaking tour, trying to rally Democrats to push back against Donald Trump and Musk’s agenda. His stop in Wisconsin was part of a broader effort to influence the state’s Supreme Court election, where Musk-backed Brad Schimel is up against Democratic pick Susan Crawford in the upcoming April 1 race.

Musk, however, wasn’t losing any sleep over Walz’s digs. The billionaire hit back with his signature brand of snark on X (formerly Twitter).

"Sometimes when I need a little boost," Musk wrote, "I look at the @JDVance portrait in the White House and thank the Lord."

Tesla's troubles after Elon Musk's shenanigans at DOGE

All of this comes at a rough time for Tesla, which has lost nearly 50% of its value in recent weeks.

Since Musk became part of Trump’s administration, the electric vehicle giant has been bleeding cash as the CEO’s DOGE-driven budget cuts continue to spark backlash.

Protests outside Tesla dealerships have been ramping up, with angry demonstrators boycotting the brand over Musk’s slashing of government programs and mass layoffs. Some activists have even turned their rage on Tesla vehicles themselves, vandalizing cars in protest, the Daily Mail reported.

But Trump wasn’t about to let his favorite billionaire buddy take the hits alone. Earlier this month, he went all-in on his love for Musk, even turning the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom to support the American carmaker.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online